Game used, very rare, worn SMU Mustangs helmet used during the 1979 season, and for seasons after. SMU used this style of helmet from 1976 through the 1986 season.   This is the same model - The Kinematic 21 that Eric Dickerson wore for the Mustangs during his playing days from 1979 through the 1982 season.  The helmet is original, complete, and unaltered or modified in any way.  

Clear shell football helmets have been around for more than 80 years.  It seems that every major football helmet manufacturer has produced clear shell helmets at one time or another.  Today, they are rare, highly collectible and bring top dollar with serious collectors. The clear shell helmet has the logos, size/brand labels, striping, and paint - under the shell - unlike conventional helmets with the exterior painted and decals/striping applied over the exterior paint.  The idea was that the paint and any logos and/or striping would be protected by the shell, keeping the helmet paint and logos in undamaged conditon from game wear.  

The period of these helmets that is most desired by collectors is the mid 1960's through the mid 1980's, due to the logos used and "displayed" under the helmet shells. NFL teams and college teams alike used the Marietta and later MaxPro Kineomatic model helmets, with superstars of both preferring to wear them due to the fully padded interiors.  These helmets were, and are today, a bit brittle and prone to cracking - especially at the facemask mounts.  This helmet is an exception.  The helmet has no cracking at any of the facemask mounts and remains in excellent condition.  Yes as far as cracking, this helmet is a rarity - it is near perfect. 

The other issue with the clear shell models was the paint.  Some of the helmets had some paint issues with the paint not properly adhering to the shell, which is a bit more prominent with white, silver and gold colored helmets.  Additionally, as the paint was sprayed on the inside of the helmet, some helmets exhibit light paint coatings and inconsistent paint thicknesses.  Internal paint wear or scratches resulted in a clear spot on the helmet rather than a molded base color or primer spot on the exterior.  Lastly, since the outside of the helmet is clear, it had tendency to yellow over time or with exposure to light - resulting in a different shade of color than a teammate's conventionally painted helmet. This helmet has no paint issues at all, a bit uncommon given it's white color. Additionally, there are no scratches, no light spots, no fading - again, just perfect.  

This beautiful helmet is complete including the chinstrap.  The helmet itself is all original and unaltered in any manner.  The padding is original, complete including the jaw pads, and in perfect/mint condition with no visible wear or issues.  The logos are perfect and colorful, properly positioned with no issues.  The helmet is a very nice highly desired size large - 7 3/8.  The facemask is an original Schutt single wire NOP, secured to the helmet with replacement/reproduction clips as the originals had become brittle and broke.  The mask condition is very nice with very light wear.  Finally, there are two factory labels, one on each side of the helmet interior with the 1979 factory date code stamp.  The helmet has a #5 dymo tape player identifier on the rear of the helmet as well as a #5 identifier written on the inside of the helmet.  Reggie Phillips wore #5 for the Mustangs during this period.  Phillips was drafted by the Bears in the 2nd round in 1984 and won a Super Bowl with the team the following season while intercepting a pass in the game.  

A great, beautiful, very rare MaxPro clear shell helmet - perfect paint, logos, mask, chinstrap, and padding, no cracking, and in a size LARGE, attributed to an NFL star, just as nice as it left the factory 45 years ago.  Don't wait on this one.