Item #: JUMBOHELMET
Category: Football Protective -> Helmets
Your Price: $145.85

JUMBO "8" is the most popular larger helmet style made to wear. Extra large conforms to any head. "Grange" look with chin straps. Glory Helmet (8 strap construction). One size fits all comfortably. This style and natural leather color was popular among almost 90% of the NCAA teams in the 1920s and 1930s: Auburn, Wis, OK, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Maryland, Army, Georgia, Ore., Arizona, Harvard, Pitt, Wash., & many, many more. One of Past Time Sports' most prized helmets because it fits comfortably on all heads whereas our other display full size helmets may run a little tight. They first made these for Disney Studios for the Movie "Angels in the Outfield" with Christopher Lloyd. Many folks like to wear 'em to their home games tailgating or create beautiful displays as you would see in Museums. Many have been personalized for prestigious awards and commemorative gifts and fund raising or incentive programs. As an heirloom of "One for the Gipper" days, these Legendary Helmets symbolize our county at its best - in competitiveness, toughness, and the "never give up spirit" of our American way and football heritage.NOTE: HELMET DOES NOT COME WITH A CHIN STRAP AND IS NOT TO BE USED FOR COMPETITIVE PLAY.A History and Tradition Over 100 Years Old The leather football helmet has it's origin more than 100 years ago first worn in an 1893 Army-Navy game. An Annapolis shoemaker created the first helmet for Admiral Joseph Mason Reeves, who had been advised by a Navy doctor that he would be risking death or "instant insanity" if he took another kick to the head.Greats of the Game and the Leather HelmetNames like "the Galloping Ghost" - Red Grange, Knute Rockne - "one for the Gipper", Bronco Nagurski, Jim Thorpe (the great Indian player), "the Four Horseman of Notre Dame" and more others each elicit deep seated memories and nostalgia of the great beginnings and heart of football legend. They all wore helmets similar to this one.The Golden EraThe helmet as we know it today and along its 100 year path has undergone many changes. Amazingly enough, Helmets were not mandatory until the late 1930's. Most of the 1890-1915 games actually played with out helmets. It was not unusual to see half of the early players with helmets and half without. Around W.W.I the helmets were so flimsy that they were often mistaken as aviator caps. Year by year more padding was added and in the 1920's thru 1940's, considered the Golden Age of college, pro and high school football, helmets like this one, were the fashion of the game.Nearly all of the games played in this era were played with unadorned leather helmets---logos and color were not used. Eventually, as great rivalries grew, some colleges, & high schools began to hand-paint their helmets. Colors were added to the bands or the forehead-flying wing. Painting of the helmet allowed receivers to be distinguishable to the quarterback when they were heavily covered and far down the field. Not until 1948 was the first logo, the Rams horns, painted on a pro leather helmet. Soon after, in the 50's, practically every college, pro and high school team put their logos an mascots on their plastic helmets. But the old leather helmets were spared much of this "clutter" as it was soon to pass into history.The death throes for the great old leather helmets came from plastics in the late 1940's. Early plastics shattered creating high risk for injury, so the great leather helmets survived through the war years. But, as plastic took over, the leather helmets were discarded, burned as unusable and hauled to the city dumps - to a point of near extinction, Few have survived. And, as a result, they are museum-priced, highly sought after and rarely found. But what they symbolized will never disappear. They represent the pure beginnings and tough competitiveness of football itself. They are the badges of courage and medals of sportsmanship of the origins and heart of the game.