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: