Picture Box
Football equipment has come a long way in the past 120 years or so. And these two photos from the Observer-Reporter’s archive show just how far.
The earlier picture was taken around 1900, before the introduction of helmets and shoulder pads. All the members of this Washington & Jefferson College squad are wearing shin guards and padded pants, however.
The other photo is of a Brownson House midget football team, taken in the 1950s. It would be only a few years before face guards were introduced to cut down the number of broken noses and lost teeth. Bare shins were OK for these boys, but their shoulders were well protected.
Note the coach in a porkpie hat and his assistants: identical twins wearing the same hats, shirts and mustaches.