Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

This slide is from the November 7, 1971 game in which the Cowboys defeated the Cardinals, 16-13. Although not terribly clear, you can tell that kicker Toni Fritsch is not wearing a facemask.



Did Toni get special dispensation to go without a mask for this game, and if so, why? I've never seen him without a facemask before now. Here is another image from the same game:



Tommy McDonald (last season was 1968) is commonly credited with being the last player to go without a facemask. He may have been the last position player to go a full season w/o a facemask, but as these images show, Fritsch clearly went w/o a mask for at least one game in 1971.

I have always thought it was Toni. In 1969 there were a couple of kickers/punters...Bobby Joe Green. Studstill...

JohnTurney wrote:I have always thought it was Toni. In 1969 there were a couple of kickers/punters...Bobby Joe Green. Studstill...

I heard that Pat Studstill switched helmets during the game: one with a facemask (as a WR) and one without it (as a punter).

As for Bobby Joe Green, I remember watching highlights from a game in 1973 at Atlanta and he did wore a facemask in that game.

Teo wrote:

JohnTurney wrote:I have always thought it was Toni. In 1969 there were a couple of kickers/punters...Bobby Joe Green. Studstill...

I heard that Pat Studstill switched helmets during the game: one with a facemask (as a WR) and one without it (as a punter).

As for Bobby Joe Green, I remember watching highlights from a game in 1973 at Atlanta and he did wore a facemask in that game.

I think it was in the early 1960s he was sans mask. Later in 1960s and 1970s he wore one.

I think Rasmussen, the DB for Lions wore no mask as holder and he had one when he played scrimmage...like Studstill he'd switch. Lou Michaels sometimes wore Bobby Layne's lid when kicking..

JohnTurney wrote:I think Rasmussen, the DB for Lions wore no mask as holder and he had one when he played scrimmage...like Studstill he'd switch. Lou Michaels sometimes wore Bobby Layne's lid when kicking..

Seems like the Lions cornered the market on the no mask thing...Yepremian didn't wear a mask, either. And in the next photo, it looks like someone other than Rasmussen is his holder...and not wearing a mask...hmm...

It looks like the holder also has a single-digit jersey. Billy Gambrell?