Leatherheads, what exactly is a leatherhead?
Is it a movie starring George Clooney? Well, yes, that is a definition. The leatherheads I’m talking about are actual players who wore the helmets we now refer to as “leatherheads.” We can well thank the very popular movie for coining the phrase ‘leatherheads’ as I couldn’t find any historical references to the general public referring to early football players as ‘leatherheads’. However, there is some indication that the helmets themselves were referred to as leather heads.
Leatherheads – The Early Years
The first leather football helmet was used in an 1893 Army-Navy game. An Annapolis shoe manufacturer developed it for Admiral Joseph Mason Reeves, who had been warned by a Navy doctor that he would be at risk of death. , going insane or paralyzed if he received another blow to the head during a game. Later helmets improved the design with padding, ear muffs, and eventually face shields.
Padded but no ear cups
Players often had their own method of padding the body as their motto and crude shoulder and hip pads were used during the early years of football, particularly in the early 20th century. Helmets were rare to see on players, and often some players wore them while others did not. In the 1920s, leather helmets became more accepted, but they were not yet required.
Logo
The first helmets had no identifying marks at all. As with all games, fierce competition and team pride resulted in some colleges and high schools hand-painting their helmets. Certain team colors or mascots were eventually painted over to easily distinguish the team’s players. Imagine being a quarterback trying to find the receiver on the field with no identifying marks on the receiver! Pretend it’s a mud game! How difficult it must have been, especially if the receiver was well covered! Today’s gamers can thank the Rams for starting to paint the team’s logo on helmets. In 1948, the Rams’ horns were painted on the teams’ helmets, and soon after, all football helmets carried the teams’ logo or colors.
true grain
While we can’t imagine playing a game of soccer without protective gear, the era of the “leatherheads” shows the true value those early players had. They took a beating week after week and often went to their regular jobs during the week. His sheer determination and love of the game has given us the football we know today and thankfully our players are much more protected.
leather helmets today
If you can find a leather helmet from that golden age, you’re in luck! Finding one that won’t cost you an arm and a leg would be an even bigger achievement. Finding ‘leatherheads’ images can also be difficult. International sports artist Andy Goralski has just completed an artwork titled “From Leather to Legendary” that portrays the Acme Packers team wearing the infamous leather head helmets. In the back is the legendary Lambeau Field in Green Bay showing off its newly renovated look. This fine art work is available in fine art prints and also available on canvas. For more information and to see this legendary work of sports art complete with a ‘leatherheads’ team, visit coleengoralski.com