What Happened to Football’s Most Iconic Look? 

Btw KTO. You said in this video that Bryan cox went to Florida. That was actually his son Bryan Cox Jr. Not Bryan Sr

Surprised you didn't mention Mike Alstott! That dude repped the neck roll like no other! Great fullback/halfback too!

Playing football as a linemen being a kid in the ‘96-‘08 era, the neck pad was the most savage looking equipment.

4 year NCAA football player here. I couldn't have made it through playing football without my cowboy collar. I don't give a shit about the statistics. I had repeated stingers when hitting, but once I put on the cowboy collar, I never had one. I played offensive line. It helped me and kept my neck safe. The other big thing not mentioned is neck training

The neck pads save you from suffering the worst kind of concussion where your head gets whiplashed into the ground. The pain is intense and temporarily blinds you.

Mike Alstott was legendary with his neck roll and power running.

I’ve worn all kinds of neck rolls throughout my high school and college playing days. By far the McDavid Cowboy Collar was the most effective. I’ve had countless instances when my head was jolted back into the cowboy collars during contact. The Cowboy Collar was a Linebackers best friend.

I love seeing all the Mike Alstott mentions. Glad he’s still getting respect despite the game changing so much. Seems like he is pretty widely appreciated but if you’re too young to have experienced him, look up some highlights. A-Train was the man. A surprisingly good receiver out of the backfield too.

It's a neat power boost item that adds +10 to your strength and durability attributes. I don't get why people don't use it more in their builds.

The fullbacks with the massive pads under the jersey was such an intimidating look

When I was around 8-10 years old, so around 95-97, our high school team was great and the RB wore #14, with a visor and neck roll with the jersey over the roll and sewn into the pads. He also wore soccer cleats before it was a thing and had those things spatted so much you could probably run his foot over with a truck and he wouldn’t feel it. I can still see him scurrying down the sideline with those enormous pads flapping like wings as guys dove at his feet. This kid has back to back 1700+ yard seasons and was the reason the team was back to back district champs. Still one of the coolest looks of all time.

I used to rock a neck roll in highschool and to be honest it really helped my neck a lot and I say that despite what research says now because my problem was the way my neck would snap up for some reason when I was a lineman more than it should so that extra support helped keep that from happening. Sure it wasn't gonna prevent a concussion or anything but it helped with my playing posture which helped step up my game even though I knew I was never gonna get a scholarship or anything but it's always more fun when you do a little better.

Mike Alstott was one of the last players who made the neck pad look.

I played in the Big10 from 96-2000. We started w the huge foam collars, then evolved to cowboy collars…. Then lineman started wearing wide receiver pads to enhance range of motion. I think that was the catalyst. Lotta guys felt constricted in collars. If you were a down guy, the thing often prevented you from seeing what was in front of you. When I got to the pros, the thing practically disappeared completely.

My favorite part of creating a player in NFL 2k5 was being able to pick things like the neck pad and mouth pieces for your player

Back in the day Christian Okoye always looked in beast mode with that collar. So did Mike Alstott.

Thank you for showing Bryan Cox some love. When I think neck pad, the immediate image in my head is Bryan Cox on the mid-nineties Bears, with that folding chair sticking out the back of his collar!

When I was in high school we played this team called Martins Ferry, and their star fullback/lineman wore a cowboy collar, I think he was first team All-state in football and wrestling. He actually was the inspiration for me to wear one when I got to college. Great video as always KTO, keep it up dude!

Every time I saw Tedy Bruschi walking out of the patriots tunnel with that giant neck pad I got chills

Let’s get this man to 1 mil subs he deserves it I l have been watching for a long time

Thank you for including the James Devlin run. One of the reasons Bill still loved the FB position. Highly underrated highlight

I've still got my old collar from high school and I loved playing with it for the intimidation factor that had. That being said I learned some valuable lessons if you're going to use one. First off you got to make sure you form tackle because if you lead with your head the restriction will actually make it worse because it pretty much guarantees that the entire force is going to straight into your neck. Secondly depending on how well fitted your pads and collar combination are it severely limits how much your head can move. This might not sound too bad but there are several times where I pretty much had to turn my entire body to look if it was too far to the side. Like I said don't regret wearing it but you do have to change your game a bit if you're not used to it.

Ladamian Tomlinson with the tinted visor while killing defenders on the field will always be iconic.

I didnt even know about Cory Schlesinger until my dad saw he was one of my teachers in high school. Schles was a coolest chillest giant man ever

Fun fact: The Steeler blasting Earl Campell was Donnie Shell. In college, we called him the Donnie Neck because of his massive neck muscles. When he wore turtleneck sweaters it looked like he was wearing a collar underneath. After signing with the steelers he bought a car with a vanity tag that read "D Neck".

KTO is one of the best NFL ytbers there is, gives us epic knowledge 24/7!

I"ll raise my hand on this one. I wore a cowboy collar all throughout high school in 2000-2004. With my jersey tucked over it. I was trying to mimic Mike Alstott (who played 25 miles up the road at JCA) who I think was just starting his reign in the NFL. I looked like a badass then and digging out an old yearbook right now... Yeah, still badass. (edit: Honestly, I think it did help with neck safety, but when it comes to my noggin... yeah not so much.)

Bro Schlesinger was my favorite player for so long him and Calvin are my favorite lions players of all time. Dude was a beast. He's the reason I wore 30 most of my life and the reason I started out as a fullback who went head first into the hole. I got to meet him a few times and he was so cool. Greatest moment of my life was meeting him

Neck pads were huge (figuratively and literally) on my high school team back in the late 90s. Mike Alstott comes to mind as a player who rocked that neck pad well.

I played Jr high to college football from 99-2007 and wore a cowboy collar as a O/D lineman and LB mostly. I used to get "stingers" even though we were taught tackling safety very well. Especially around the time Corey Stringer died (yes dehydration is a whole different issue, but safety in all aspects were emphasized even more) once I wore a cowboy collar I never had another issue other than range of motion in a 3pt stance. I used to be reluctant to hit/block as hard because I didn't want to hurt my neck until I wore one of the collars. Plus I played LB mostly looking sweet with my #54 😂

Having the neck roll under the jersey really gave it that iconic cartoony look. Never knew that was where it actually came from and that they actually looked like that.

Miss the big full backs with the neckpads. Mike allstot, lorenzo neal were classic examples

I played fullback in middle, high school, and college. I wore the number 40 because I idolized Jim Kleinsasser, and Mike Alstot. I wore the neck roll, under the jersey of course.

2:39 Please tell me that Jim’s book was titled, “Otto-Biography.”

I played with one of these butterfly collars. Honestly I feel like I could never have played without it after my pinched nerve.

When you were in middle school, you feared the giant kids with cowboy collars 😂

Vander Esch still got one makes him look bad ass… wish he played like one tho

My neckroll saved my neck health in highschool during my linebacker days. I had to purchase brand new shoulder pads, and spider pads to protect my body from the heavy hits. I'm glad the game has been made safer. It was fun, but safety is king.

I used a cowboy collar back in the day, back when head to head collisions were allowed. I can't believe they discontinued making them

Everyone loved the cowboy collar when I played in the early 2000’s. It’s crazy how they just disappeared

You’re right, on the goal line and you need a yard or two, there’s nothing quite as satisfying as watching a big ol’ fullback with a neck pad punching it into the end zone. 😎

I remember being more than a little excited when I tweaked my neck in JV football my soph year because it meant I could get my dad to buy a cowboy collar. Wore it until senior year when I upgraded to a butterfly neck plate. Probably never hit anyone hard enough to necessitate it's use, but damn I felt like I looked tough as hell.

I honestly thought I was the only person who noticed this, bless you KTO! Anyone else notice the trend of extra small shoulder pads? Giants and Seahawks used to wear those alot.

I had a butterfly restrictor, made me feel unstoppable. Broke a couple of them 🤣 concussions made me feel stopped though

So you think the cowboy collar, that was invented by a doctor from Oklahoma State, where their mascot is the cowboys, was named that because a cowboys player wore it in the NFL? You don't think it might have had something to do with the Oklahoma State Cowboy that invented it?

Something about classic pads and neckrolls is just quintessentially “Football”

Mike Alsttott was an iconic example too

Pacifier will always be cool. Neck roll and cowboy collar wise, I get it. It definitely helps you with your head popping back. Impact etc. It also can help guys that get stingers regularly or have nerve issues. My brother had to wear one senior year for that reason. I wore a cowboy collar in high school and loved it. Wore it my redshirt freshman year too. Got rid of it after that. Thing is, once you get to a higher level, you lose anything that’s slowing you down or inhibiting your speed. Just to be able to compete. I wanted smaller pads, smaller everything to keep up. If you can do the job with it, more power to you, and if you need it for safety issues/physical issues, I get it. But the game is faster. You’ll see them come back as the game moves back to big LBs, big RBs, FBs, and more ground game I formation offenses. It’s been play action and pro style so long now. It’s pass and speedy Gonzalez most of the time. But we’re already seeing TE’s coming back. We’re also seeing teams get destroyed at power running offenses. So it’s cyclical. It’ll go back to 230-250 lb lbs, fbs and Rbs. And when that happens they’ll be needed again by some guys.

I remember starting with a foam Collar when I played in HS.. I lost it quickly when I couldn't move my head enough. I think part of the problem with them is that the ones like Bryan Cox wore, forced you to hit with the crown.. and the NFL is really working to take those hits away.

The neck pad absolutely restricts movement, not quite sure if that would help head injuries but it would definitely help to prevent neck injuries

I gotta say when I was growing up with highlights of Al Wilson at Tennessee, that was one badass look and for him perfectly.

Corey Schlesinger. He broke a few facemasks in his day. Now teaches CAD in the Detroit area and is still awesome from what I hear!

I used to wear one in high school, back in 2003. I just liked that it made me look bigger.

When Brian Bozworth started wearing his a bunch of guys I played football with started wearing neck rolls and the senior got to wear his number. I was fine with #60 after I found out my tiny hands couldn't hang on to the football and I sucked as a running back. I was the fastest guy as an offensive lineman lineman in three years of football. I loved running plays

Oh man, I’m early & btw love your content KTO never stop doing it! 🔥🙌🏻

Something similar has gone on in motocross and downhill mountain biking. They had these halo devices you would wear under a full face helmet, to protect the neck. For a while, it was the must-have accessory for ultimate badassery. Now-a-days, you rarely see them, because of the dubious effectiveness and restriction of range-of-motion. I still have my $600 carbon fiber Alpinestars neck brace, that lives in storage. When I was a big football fan and played alot of Madden on PS2, a neck pad was a requirement for my create-a-player

Mike Alstott in my opinion was the last best player with a neckpad.

I used one. It encouraged me go hit with my head obviously, and well yes suffered a concussion or ten. I did need it for my neck issues I was born with.

You forgot to mention Mike Alstott and Tom Rathman. Two neck pad legends!

That James Develin run has always remained one of my all time favorite football plays. Truly showcasing a dying facet of the game.

I always thought Bosworth looked so friggin menacing with that neck roll. The dude was an ABSOLUTE manic.

First, I am not an expert. Second, I grew up and played football through college in the 1980's. I wore a foam collar for help preventing hyper-extension of the neck backwards and to the sides. We were always taught correct tackling: hitting with the shoulder pads not the head. But the game is brutal, and whether intended or not, a tacklers head gets involved in the tackle...that's just the game. Third, I played nose guard and middle linebacker...and looking bigger and more intimidating is always a plus...it's a tough game and every advantage helps. Finally, now as an old man I didn't want my sons to play...I pushed them towards other sports (non-contact sports). I am suffering from degenerative arthritis and don't wish anyone that disease. If you play football at any level...please take care of yourself and have fun.

When I was a kid I went as a football player like 4 years in a row for Halloween just so I could show off my homemade neckroll.

Blast from the past! I wore a neck roll for years when I played. I don't recall it ever actually doing anything beneficial, it was just part of the kit at the time. Don't recall ever thinking "glad I was wearing that" after a big hit or anything. Maybe just me and I didn't put a lot of thought into it. Could say that about a few things of my younger self though.

Maybe I’m drunk. Or maybe this is the best football commentator on all of RU-vid. Maybe it’s a little of both.

Ruben Foster when he was at Alabama was the last person that looked pretty cool wearing it.. but I'm sure him running down on kickoffs absolutely obliterating people definitely helped 😂

This past year vanderish just retired because he had a neck injury when he got blocked by Trent Williams.

I wanna know why the NFL banned those gladiator style “barrier” facemasks that defensive players typically wore. Those were legit

TCU has two linebackers with neck padding. Had to come back to let the boys know

I'm hurt you didn't include Mike Alstott 😂

Neck roll, dark visor, and left forearm pad here. Miss the late 90s

Mike alstott neck pad made him a real life juggernaut.

I grew up at the end of the neck pad era and damn near our whole football team had one we were like iconic for our neck rolls and big ass shoulder pads 😂 it’s gladiator shit it’s your armor that shit was awesome I love it

The amount of work this guy does for every video is crazy

The ending clips with the music gets me going every single time and will never get old.

I still use them on madden 😤💯💪🏾 the cowboy collar and butterfly

KTO pound for pound is one of the best documentary style sports You-tubers. His content is on par if not better than many big budget broadcasts.

You can’t talk about neck pads without Brian Cox, period!

Back in the 80s the form tackling we were taught was putting the face right between the ball carriers numbers, wrap up, and explode through. It was a much more physical way of tackling and blocking then. The neck roll was worn by many back then because of this style of play and the fundamentals taught. Another gear set many used then, that is not seen today is the hand and arm padding. Guys literally padded themselves from the hands to the biceps. Once again the fundamentals like forearm shots were regularly used in blocking and blocking defense back then. We also wore our hip, butt, thigh, and knee pads then too. These are also rarely seen nowadays. The game has changed. It's much more finesse, and speed now.

Absolutely crazy how close you are to a million subs man. Good for you well deserved been here since 2019 love the videos dog. Also crazy how when i was growing up playing football(10-12 years ago), we were taught to lower our head... Crazy

"and then, he was joined by his neck pad army." What a statement.

The cowboy collar was genuinely intimidating. They really did slowly fade away without anyone noticing.

I used the cowboy collar for years and it absolutely worked. Like night and day difference. It did limit the range of motion, but the trade off was well worth it.

I’m glad this has been noticed. I miss the neck pad and bigger shoulder pads. Now everybody wears the same thing.

Anvil Head stole my hookup in college. I’m in her dorm room, knock at the door. It’s a freshman Anvil Head at NU. She invited him to stay and she invited me to leave. 2 TD’s to beat Miami and win the National championship absolved all resentments. Great Husker ! Cory Schlesinger. GBR!

I wore one back in the 80's, they definitely work. But the style of play was so different. You could sort of raise your chin and lock your helmet into the neck-roll and just drill people with your head. What would get you a flag today was taught in every practice back then. The pads I wore as a 17 year old were probably bigger than NFL linemen wear today.

I played fullback and middle linebacker. I had a neckroll then a cowboy collar and the neck roll was better and more comfortable. I went back to the foam roll. I also lead with my head (not recommended)

Mike alstott with the neck roll and Brian Dawkins with the blacked out visor that's Style

i was an offensive lineman in high school and wore the mcdavid cowboy collar bc i kept getting stingers in my neck from all the hard hits. the collar fixed that issue bc it stopped my neck from being tweaked. the cool factor was an added bonus. but i will say it 100% saved me from any more neck injuries from my sophomore year onward.

I was completely influenced by all of those guys in the 90s with their neck rolls. I wore one from peewees all the way up to my senior year in high school. When I played in college, I never had one and I totally felt quicker and much more aware of what is going on around me. I can attest to the limited mobility of the neck roll and feel pretty dumb for wearing one all of those years.ha

Every one of KTO's endings are fire. When that song drops it just hits everytime.

I’m South African and grew up playing rugby and to me it just seems absurd that you lot used to tackle head on. That’s literally insane. Attempting such a tackle in rugby would’ve gotten you banned from the sport, not to mention the health issues that comes with that Glad to see that the player safety standards have evolved though

7:35 hardest hit on Campbell ever

How did you do an entire video on the neck pad and not once show the great Mike Alstott??? I’m devastated.

With the rules changes in football since the 1970s less equipment below the head has become the norm. I always said that the darn neck things never worked and I played in the 70s at the high school level. I tried one on and it hindered my mobility and vision. Now I believe those small shoulder pads used cause more injuries.

Cowboy collar under the jersey was THE look. I always liked how it gave me a headrest as well during downtime, pop that helmet off and rest your head a min

I'm 43 years old this video brought back incredible memories with impeccable presentation well done

I really think the down turn in neck pad use has upped the number of concussions. The neck pad was designed to stop the head from over extending back which can cause concussions. I wore one for 5 of the 6 years I played stopped wearing it my last year got 2 concussions during the year within 2 days. Seriously think the neck roll aids in concussion prevention

@KTO bring back the podcast sports therapy. Loved listening to that, great topics and loved the overall feel.

Begin video at 6:37....jesus christ it took this guy forever to get to the point.