Helmet Hut Exclusive Article
It's a great time of the year. NFL camps are opening soon and once again
football news is starting to permeate the sports pages. Normally this is the
time of the year when we start to dust off the old helmet collection and get
it ready for the upcoming season. This years dusting ritual (which also
represents our annual contribution to the family housekeeping chores) had to
be temporarily postponed due to a recent offer that we could not refuse --
the legendary Pittsburgh Steeler's "Steel Curtain" had invited Helmet Hut to
"break bread" with them.
These four special former players, LC Greenwood, Dwight White, Ernie
Holmes and Joe Greene, have teamed up once again to market as a group the
memories of their glorious playing days together. These heroes of Super
Bowls past were eager to learn more about Helmet Hut's "personalized" player
versions of the Riddell "RK" authentic reproduction suspension helmet.
Three quarters of the "Curtain" warmly reminisced about wearing Riddell
suspension helmets for a major portion of their playing days (Joe
Green, trying to keep a straight face, contended that he was much too young
to wear that vintage helmet). Ernie Holmes revealed to us that he kept an
elbow pad in the top of this suspension helmet to protect him from "getting
his bell rung." When we asked Mr. Greenwood what "LC" stood for he responded
just "LC." He added that he has always done fine with his real birth name
being "LC" but others just do not want to accept that as fact. He has
actually had problems making plane reservations in the past because they
would not accept just "LC" for a first name on a reservation. Exasperated,
he would finally tell them "You can make up any name you want for me but the
first name on my birth certificate is "LC!"
All four gentlemen agreed that the suspension helmet truly represented
their era. Dwight White added that it just doesn't feel quite right when he
is asked to sign a modern era "high tech" Steeler helmet at an autograph
show. At this point of the meeting we surprised each of them with their
own "Helmet Hut" personalized version of their actual game helmet. "Now this
is what we wore!" exclaimed Dwight. As he continued to examine the helmet we
noticed his intense silent stare as if he had just been reunited with a
special old friend.
As we headed to outdoors to take a picture of the "Steel Curtain" to
share with our loyal readers Ernie dropped his new helmet and the other
three roared as it rolled down the street. Perhaps that is why Mr. Holmes
played only defense. Ernie is the type of person you instinctively hug
rather than shake their hand when saying "good bye."
The most remarkable observation taken from our special meeting with the
"Steel Curtain" is that contrary to their playing styles these four men
are soft spoken, unpretentious, kind, and some of the classiest former
athletes that we have ever talked to. It was refreshing to see that when
these four great men were together there was no presence of individual egos.
They acted like close brothers in a "tight knit" family. The respect and
care they exhibited toward each other was enviable. Perhaps that is why they
were able to accomplish so much together on the field.
