Info on 1980's-90's Gladiator NFL helmets

[War Helmets]

One helmet I have seen on just a few players using is Gladiator.I have searched the web & there is not much if anything to go on.I have a NFL book from the 80's & it has great pics in it called "The NFL Experience".Very good hardcopy book I bought lightly used shipped for like $8 bucks on amazon.Inside there is a pic of Howie Long and one of RB Kenny King from the Raiders and it says Gladiator on the front bumper.Could I get some Gladiator helmet 101 from my fellow helmet guys out there.... Always looking for a late 70's--early 90's Raiders,Giants,or Bucs lid> brandonwatson77@yahoo

[War Helmets]

And does anybody know if some Riddell helmets have a Gladiator bladder on the inside?Was Gladiator made by Riddell? HELP!!!!!

[bgakladd]

Google search: Gladiator Helmet Hut. They have quite a few articles on these helmets from Helmet Hut. Go thru each listing and read carefully how Riddell purchased the company, and it even has a listing of some top NFL players back in the day who wore Gladiator helmets. Hope this helps. Barry

[yosef777]

In addition to the very informative Helmet Hut article (mentioned by bgakladd and included below) I have attached a Gladiator catalog from 1981. It shows the last version of Gladiators' GHH 'Hydro Flo' model which included a full nose bumper pad.
The earlier model GHH's were made with the Sandknit/Medalist company (the same Sandknit/Medalist company known for making jerseys) and only had a grey nose snubber. It was during the Gladiator/Medalist era that the Ohio State Buckeyes (most notably Archie Griffin) wore them.

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72229The helmet you are referring to was originally manufactured by Gladiator until 1985. In the late 1980s Riddell was purchasing competitor helmet manufacturing companies such as Maxpro and Gladiator. They were also buying independent helmet reconditioning companies around the country and folding them into their original purchase of the "All American" reconditioning company in Elyria, Ohio. Evidently their strategy was to control the marketplace by buying out the competition in both the helmet production and reconditioning businesses. The Gladiator helmet design purchased by Riddell was unique because it had an interchangeable (for different head sizes), one piece, clover shaped, permanent air filled pad system which attached with Velcro to a similar shaped one piece padded liner. The liner was attached to the helmet shell by also using Velcro. The original Gladiator model had a similar system but used fluid rather than air in the permanently filled padded pockets. This technology was attractive to players who wanted an air or fluid filled system but did not trust the reliability of the air valve inflation system required by other helmets in order to adjust for head size. To adjust the fit of a Gladiator padded system a player would simply switch out the interchangeable one piece pad until the right size was realized. After purchasing the company Riddell replaced the "Gladiator" markings on the helmet with the "All American" label which helped to promote their expansion into the equipment reconditioning business."

[War Helmets]

Thanks guys that is very interesting.One reason being,there is a early 90's helmet I have my eye on,but the guy wants a fortune for it.It has a Gladiator bladder on the inside,but a Riddell bumper on the front.There isn't much of anything if you google "Gladiator football helmet".All I got were some sold ebay listings & an article about a safer concussion helmet for the NFL that is kind of new called a Gladiator