Why football helmet visors are about more than just good looks

L.T. wearing a football helmet visor

Helmet visors are growing in popularity among football players, and it’s not just about making a fashion statement.

Tinted and mirrored visors provide an important line of defense between your eyes and the sun. For receivers, it can mean the difference between pulling in a long touchdown pass or dropping it after losing the ball in the glare.

It’s the same for defensive backs. Don’t let your next interception get past you because you were blinded by the light.

When you’re practicing day-in and day-out in the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., your eyes take in a lot of UV light. It can lead to sunburn on your eyes, or with prolonged exposure, cataracts, cancer or even blindness.

The safety aspect of visors is huge.

Football helmet visors also serve as a barrier between your face, the elements and the 11 other guys looking to lay you out on the turf.

For offensive skill players, an errant hand during a tackle could mean fingers inside your mask. For linemen on both sides of the ball, there’s a risk of hands, fingers and who-knows-what-else getting inside your mask while in the trenches or under the pile.

If you have a pre-existing eye condition or previous injury, it makes a helmet visor or eye shield a no-brainer.

We carry a few different models of helmet visors at Football America from brands like Nike, Oakley and Under Armour.

Here are some of our favorite models of football visors:

Related: Like the sun protection but think a visor is too much? Check out our eye black.

Save 15% storewide during our Presidents Day weekend sale!

Presidents Day weekend starts today, and we’re celebrating in style!

Now through Tuesday, you can take 15% off all orders at Football America. There is NO minimum order.

Just use the promo code JSFBSP88 at checkout. Shop now.

Related: Browse our selection of closeout football equipment.

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Bowl Braggin’ Rights!

Bowl Braggin’ Rights!

A few highlights:

Nike had 46 out of 70 schools playing bowl games

Nike had 4 out of 5 BCS Bowl Winners

Alabama/BCS Championship
Oregon/Fiesta
Florida State/Orange
Stanford/Rose

Alabama won the BCS National Championship, which is the 11th time in 12 years that the National Champion has been a Nike school!

EvoShield’s about to make bulky flak jackets a thing of the past

Every so often, something comes along in the game of football that makes an older piece of equipment obsolete. Metal helmets replaced leather, and composite replaced metal.

The next step in the evolution of football gear came this year when EvoShield introduced its HybridPro Protective Shirt and Girdle.

Before HybridPro, players were forced to choose between protection and mobility with protective shirts and girdles. Pads that gave the best protection were bulky and restrictive, and pads that were built for mobility often didn’t hold up too well.

Evoshield’s gear has both — protection and mobility. It uses the company’s proprietary gel-to-shell technology, which starts as a gel that hardens as it’s exposed to air, so it can be shaped for a custom fit.

That means its lightweight thigh and rib pads will never restrict your movement, and the pads are rugged enough to provide superb protection. That’s why Heisman winner Robert Griffin III will be wearing them this season.

Get the shirt for $89.99 and the girdle for $84.99 at Football America.

Related: Shop our entire selection of Evoshield gear.

2012 Equipment Guide: Which is better, detachable or molded football cleats?

Football is coming up quickly, and that means its a good time to pick up a fresh pair of football cleats.

Football cleats are divided into two categories — detachable and molded — each with different pros and cons. Which is better for you? Read on, and we’ll explain some of the major differences between the two.

Detachable football cleats

Costs a little more upfront, but worth it over the long term. Usually, the first part of the cleat to wear down is the studs, and when the studs on a set of molded football cleats get worn down, the player needs to replace the entire shoe.

With detachable football cleats, the player can simply replace his studs. That means that while detachable cleats cost a little more at the register, they can be the more cost-effective choice for players who use their cleats for multiple seasons.

Great in less-than-ideal situations. Shorter cleats are great for turf or dry grass, but what happens when you’re playing in the rain? Players who use detachable football cleats can swap in longer studs when they play on wet or uneven grass fields.

That makes detachable football cleats more versatile than molded.

Molded football cleats

A better buy for youth or casual players. Molded cleats cost less upfront, which makes them a great choice for a player who might outgrow his cleats in a year or if he’s not sure he’ll play for another season.

Good on dry grass and artificial turf. If your schedule has you playing primarily indoors, on turf fields or on well-groomed grass, you might not have much to gain by using detachable studs. A molded cleat would provide you with all of the performance you need at a better price.

It’s legal. Some football leagues ban the use of metal-tipped studs and some ban the use of detachable cleats altogether. If you want to wear detachable cleats, check with your coach or league first to make sure.

If not, molded cleats will be your best option.

Related: Shop our entire selection of football cleats.

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2012 Equipment Guide: What to look for with football gloves and how to keep them sticky

Football gloves are becoming more and more popular across all levels of football, because of the numerous benefits they provide.

When you’re holding the ball, the textured, tacky surface on the inside of football gloves gives you more surface area against the ball. That means more friction, so you’ll have a better grip, and you’ll be less likely to fumble or drop a pass because of the ball slipping out of your hand.

For linemen and linebackers, the padded gloves offer some protection to their hands, and some quarterbacks use gloves on their non-throwing hands in order to get a better grip while taking the snap.

What’s in a good pair of gloves? Here’s a quick look.

• Skill position players should choose gloves with a tacky palm and not much else. These gloves should be lightweight and free from bulk that could interfere with a player’s hand movement.
• Lineman gloves should offer padding on the back of the hand, thumb and fingers. These gloves usually include some tack on the fingers and palm.
• Linebackers and running backs fall in a middle zone and might benefit from having some moderate padding on their gloves. Look for gloves that still offer room for finger articulation.

Now that you have your gloves, how do you keep them sticky?

Wash your football gloves. Some gloves can be machine washed, others need to be hand washed. Check the tag on your gloves or the packaging to make sure.

Use tape. Run a strip of tape over the palm of your gloves several times, and it’ll transfer over a little bit of the glue.

Get two pairs. Use a pair of gloves for practice, and use a different pair for games. By saving football gloves for prime time, their stickiness will last longer.

Related: Check back tomorrow, and we’ll conclude our 2012 Equipment Guide with cleats!

2012 Equipment Guide: Finding the right set of football shoulder pads and making sure they fit

Just like facemasks, finding the right set of shoulder pads comes down to what position you play.

But first things first, you need to measure for the pads. We produced a handy video detailing how.

Measure around the player’s chest, keeping the tape around the nipple line. That’ll give you a chest measurement, which you can match to the manufacturer’s sizing chart to find the right size of shoulder pads.

All of our shoulder pad pages include size charts for easy shopping.

Next, find the right set of shoulder pads for your position. Most shoulder pads are labeled for their positions (For example: QB or RB/WR/LB or Lineman), but in case they aren’t, here are a few easy guidelines for matching your pads to your position.

• Quarterbacks should choose lightweight pads with a low-profile shoulder design. Avoid pads with excess epaulets, which might restrict shoulder movement. Option-style and running quarterbacks might benefit by using running back pads.
• Skill players (Running backs, linebackers and defensive backs) should look for lightweight pads, but those players won’t need as much range of motion as quarterbacks. “All purpose” pads work well here.
• Linemen need heavyweight pads in order to handle the demands of the position.
• Kickers should use quarterback pads, because they offer the best range of motion.

Now that you’ve found the right set of pads, it’s time to make sure it fits correctly.

Check to make sure the player’s collarbone is covered by padding and not exposed, and that the neck opening is large enough. Also make sure that the shoulder joint is adequately covered by top portion of arch area and deltoid padding, which must extend to outside edge of shoulder.

When you have the elastic underarm strap in place, the pads shouldn’t shift or jostle around on the player. The straps should be snug enough to allow only a two-finger width when inserted under the straps.

If your pads come with pre-drilled holes, now’s the time to add accessories. You can add extra protection with a neck roll, butterfly collar, shock pads, sternum protector or flak jacket.

Protective undershirts, like Evoshield’s Adult HybridPro Protective shirt also offer additional protection.

Related: Check back tomorrow to see our guide to football gloves!

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