How has football equipment evolved in the National Football League from the 1920’s to present day and how have these evolutions made the game safer for players?
Founded in 1920, the National Football League (NFL) quickly rose in popularity in the United States and became a staple of American culture. Throughout its history, head injuries have persistently been a main area of concern for players, medical professionals, and even parents signing their children up to play.
Following the discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in 2002, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma, the NFL needed evolution in helmet technology in order to protect players make the game safer for all of its athletes. This is where helmet companies such as Riddell began to focus on the modernization of the football helmet and how they could reduce head injuries as a whole with an impact absorbing helmet.
Originally making football cleats in the 1920’s, Riddell released its first football helmet in the 1940’s along with supplying helmets to the US army for WWII. The helmet’s major design changes occurred in its 2000’s model around the discovery of CTE. Over the course of the National Football League, the company Riddell has made significant leaps in helmet technology. Through these advancements, players wearing Riddell branded helmets have been significantly more protected from concussions each time they step on the field.