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: