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The official helmet of the Chargers is the Riddell VSR-4 and the new
Revolution.
However, some players use the Bike/Schutt ProAir2, such as John Parella (and his 6-point chinstrap!). It is up to the individual
players to request a helmet other than the Riddell.
The helmets are Navy Blue in color, and chinstraps are also the choice
of the player. In the photo above, notice the lower facemask
clip (large white clip): it is a Riddell ShockBlocker. All
current Chargers helmets since the early 90's are equipped with the
Shockblockers, even the Bikes and Schutts.
The lower rear of each helmet will have the player's jersey number on
it; the styles vary from year to year. On the lower left rear of
each helmet will be the NFL logo decal.
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Chargers Throwback Helmets (1994, 2000, 2002-3)
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In 1994, the NFL celebrated its 75th anniversary, and many teams wore
older uniforms from years past to commemorate this event. The
Chargers wore their second-generation uniforms, worn from 1961-73, for
the first half of the 1994 season. In 2000, to celebrate their
40th anniversary, the Chargers wore their beloved "Powder
Blues" again against the Raiders, for one game only. The
helmets used looked like the one above, from the 1994 season.
The 1994 version used Shockblockers for the lower facemask mounts, but
the 2000 helmets worn for one game did NOT use Shockblockers on all
helmets. Also notice that the outline on the gold lightning
bolts is navy blue, not light blue (as on the current Riddell ProLine
Throwback helmets).
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The Shockblocker acts as a shock absorber between the facemask and
helmet shell. All Chargers helmets are equipped with these since
the early 1990's. The only exception I have found was in October
2000 during the 40th anniversary game against the Oakland Raiders,
when the team wore their "Powder Blues" throwback uniforms
(61-73 style, white helmets, same as the 1994 throwbacks).
During this game, the helmets used standard facemask clips for the
lower mounts. These are available directly from Riddell, or from
Real Stuff Sports (email
here).
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The clear portion fits inside the larger, colored plastic
retainer. Fit the Shockblocker around the facemask, and install
on the helmet shell. That's it!
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