Today's Tidbit... Radio Headsets of 1956

College quarterbacks and defensive signal callers in 2024 are allowed to wear helmets with headsets connected to coaches on the sideline, tools the NFL okayed in 1994. Many football fans know that Paul Brown, then the Cleveland Browns coach, implemented radio headsets in 1956 for his team's last two preseason and first three regular season games. Less well-known is that five or six other NFL teams used or invested in similar systems before Commissioner Bert Bell stopped the practice.

This technological innovation entered the airwaves due to George A. Sarles. Sarles was a Browns fan and dictating equipment salesman who enjoyed tinkering with radio receivers. Like many, he noticed that Paul Brown sent plays to his quarterback by substituting guards for each play, which was time-consuming and tiring for the guards, especially in the red zone.

Sarles thought there had to be a better way and began tinkering with his spare radio parts. After struggling to find components small enough to do the trick, he finally succeeded and contacted Paul Brown. He learned Brown had similar thoughts but lacked Sarles' know-how, so the two worked together to finalize the system.

The setup included a handheld microphone for Brown connected to a directional transmitter on the sideline. The transmitter sent a radio signal to a receiver and microphone inside the quarterback's helmet. Using the system required the Browns to license a 4-watt radio station with the FCC with the callsign 19A1661.

('Browns' Quarterback is 'Radio-Active',' Lexington Herald-Leader, September 23, 1956.)

The system debuted during the Browns' 17-0 loss to the Detroit Lions in Akron in an exhibition game. Whether other NFL teams knew of the Browns' plans to ride the airwaves before the Lions game is unknown, but syndicated newspaper articles ensured everyone knew the story. The Browns and Sarles were forthcoming with information and images. Some coverage focused on the innovative Browns' space-age approach to football, some on how other teams responded, and others found it amusing.