The first football helmet was worn by Admiral Joseph Mason Reeves in 1893. Reeves was a member of the Navy football team. Doctors warned him that he had a chance of death if he got hit or kicked in the head. The person who made the leather helmet for Reeves was an Annapolis shoemaker. In 1896, George Barclay, who played for Lafayette College, decided to wear a helmet to protect himself from getting cauliflower ear. Three leather straps held his helmet to his head. Most players did not wear helmets until they became mandatory in the 1930's. More padding was used in the helmets, but they were all the same color. Logos began to get painted on the helmets in order to tell what team players were on. Ram horns were the first logo painted on helmets in 1948. This was when all football teams including pro, college, and high school started putting logos on their leather helmets.
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