I have a thing for old school football pads.  I played football in the 1990's, and I now realize that the period from 1986 through 1996 was a time when football pads were huge.  At that time you wanted the biggest shoulder pads possible because they made you look like a bad ass!  It was also common to double up your thigh and knee pads to make yourself look bigger.  I understand today's players want to be faster and sleeker by having smaller pads, but the game just doesn't have the same look as it once had.  Whether you notice consciously or not, watching football now isn't the spectacle it used to be primarily because the pads have slimmed down.  I hope that the trend for bigger pads makes a come back for players wanting to out size their opponent because I think the sport is more fun the more outrageous the pads are.  Why not push the limit with football gear?  The whole uniform is ridiculous to begin with!

The Long Lost Neck Roll

I have been obsessing on old school neck rolls lately. Recently I have purchased a 2" vinyl dipped neck roll similar to this one:

Of course, still a favorite and an ever lasting companion to my shoulder pads is the Douglas neck roll with restrictors:

And let's not forget the excellent design of the butterfly restrictor:

Modern football has moved on to less and less bulky gear, and the neck roll appears to have suffered the same fate. I ran across this great post with excellent comments regarding this very subject on www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com - O, Noble Neck Roll: We Miss Your Ivory Caresses

"Where did thou go, O neck roll? If 70's big is for weightlifting, the comparable football movement would involve guys wearing mustaches and neck rolls. The neck protection that said 'Yes, I hit people so hard whiplash is a possibility, but I exhibit so little care for the necessity of protection that I simply ripped the foam guard off the squat bar and stuck it to my pads at the last minute."

Perhaps the trend will come around again- especially now that stingers and concussions are all over the magnifying glass of football news these days. In the meantime, some players rocking the neck roll:

I have to devote a post to the dominant piece of football equipment, those big shoulder pads. As modern football advances, it seems like those shoulder pads keep getting smaller and smaller. Very disappointing. Football players are supposed to look huge with huge pads! Plus, there are more broken clavicles as a result- go figure. Give me the classic bulky ones any day! Let's demand true retro uniforms on the gridiron!!

I am huge fan of Douglas shoulder pads and I think they're classic. One of the best shoulder pads on the market is "Mr. D" lineman pads. Total protection, but whatever position a player plays, you can't go wrong with any Douglas model.

The eighties and nineties appear to be the bulkiest of style period for whatever reason. Some classics:

Some players that are rocking the large shoulder pads:

Introduction to football gear

In my obsession with football pads and uniforms, I have not found a site devoted to such, so I decided to create one. For some people uniforms are a form of fetish, but for me the gear translates beyond that. Whether wearing pads or seeing them worn, simply put- pads just rock.

I will be uploading pictures I find interesting, male and female football players, along with discussing various gear and uniforms. Thanks for looking!