Riddell invented plastic helmets and offered them first to Northwestern, who wore them for their season opener versus Syracuse in 1940. Other schools wanted to use plastic helmets for the 1941 season, but by then, plastics had been declared a wartime material as the U.S. geared up for war. Schools quickly switched to plastic helmets when they became available after the war, though some players opted to stick with leather.

The image above shows six players involved in the action. Five wear plastic helmets, while Iacule, #69 of Brown, opted for leather. He and #55, Regine, both wear face masks nonetheless.

For more on the history of early plastic helmets including their use by WWII paratroopers, see below:

Football Archaeology

When West Point’s Football Helmets Went to War

America remained neutral in 1940 despite wars raging in Europe and Asia. Since most understood those wars threatened our neutrality, the nation took steps to prepare for war, including Congress approving the Selective Training and Selection Act, which allowed America's first peacetime draft. Beyond mobilizing men and munitions manufacturing, the American armed forces also took steps to build new capabilities…

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a year ago · Timothy P. Brown

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