Still trying to identify the point when the Packers abandoned leather helmets. We do know that the entire team was wearing plastic shells (at least in some games) by 1952, based on this photo from the Packers' heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Marquette Stadium in Milwaukee on
October 12, 1952.
As we've discussed, Gene Ronzani was
putting his own stamp on the club, slowly eliminating Curly Lambeau's blue and athletic gold scheme. Here we see Ronzani's green jerseys paired with a metallic gold shell. The result was reportedly something like this:
Not dissimilar to the color scheme Ron Wolf
almost adopted in 1994.
As we've discussed, Gene Ronzani was putting his own stamp on the club, slowly eliminating Curly Lambeau's blue and athletic gold scheme. Here we see Ronzani's green jerseys paired with a metallic gold shell. The result was reportedly something like this:
Not dissimilar to the color scheme Ron Wolf almost adopted in 1994.
3 comments:
Great photo, Chance. Seeing as they only played three regular-season games at Marquette Stadium, such photos are rare.
I have a book at home, "The Baltimore Colts Story" by longtime Baltimore football writer John Steadman, that says the Packers bought the Colts' plastic helmets after the 1950 Colts folded, which I presume means 1951 was the first all-plastic season. (The Colts that Unitas played for were a different franchise.)
Found it.
"The Colt helmets, however, were sold to the Green Bay Packers for use in the 1951 season."
-- Steadman, John F., pp. 58, "The Baltimore Colts Story," Press Box Publishers, Baltimore, 1958.
That's amazing, Tom. Thanks!
The AAFC Colts wore green and silver. I don't know what color the helmets were, but I would presume that the Packers repainted them gold after receiving them from the Colts.
Post a Comment