Bigger, Stronger, Faster: How Football Players Outgrew Their Pads

Remember when NFL athletes from the 1970s looked like modern-day gladiators, wearing massive shoulder pads, neck rolls, and thick hip and thigh pads? It was all worn to protect the athlete from impacts from player collisions and landing on hard playing surfaces. Fast forward to today, where athletes are stronger, faster, and more powerful than ever before, but take the field with a much leaner silhouette, often wearing the bare minimum of required protection while still hitting and tackling each other as hard as ever. With less body protection and some of the strongest players in history, it raises an important question—where does all that impact energy go if players aren’t wearing gear to absorb it?

If athletes are opting for minimal personal protective equipment, the responsibility shifts toward making the playing environment itself safer, and this is why adding a shock pad beneath the turf is essential—it helps reduce the impact forces absorbed by the body and head during tackles and falls. Without proper impact absorption, repeated blows can take a serious toll on athletes over time. By integrating shock pads into the field design, we can create a safer playing surface that helps protect athletes without affecting their performance.

Speed and Style Over Safety

Today’s athletes are bigger, faster, and more specialized than ever before. Player sizes and body types have evolved dramatically based on positional demands. For example, a modern NFL linebacker can weigh around 250 pounds while reaching speeds of over 20 miles per hour. Traditional bulky equipment can hinder mobility, which is a major reason many players now opt for smaller pads.

This minimalist approach to protective gear is exemplified by Washington wide receiver Jamison Crowder, who stated in a New York Times article, “I want the thinnest pads possible. I only wear what’s required, and I get the lightest available versions of that.” His mindset reflects a growing preference across professional sports—prioritizing speed and performance over bulkier traditional protective measures. Shoulder pads, which often weigh less than 5 pounds today, used to weigh six to eight pounds, according to equipment supplier Riddell.

In 2022, XTECH Protective Equipment, a manufacturer of protective gear, estimated that roughly 80 percent of NFL players have switched to wearing their pads since the company started. Their pads weigh between 3.75 and 4.5 pounds and are designed so players can have a full range of motion with less restricted movement. For example, the Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson said, “It really helped me extend my arms a couple extra inches,” when talking about a tough fourth-down catch he was able to make while wearing the XTECH pads.

Additionally, the relationship between athletic performance and appearance has changed completely in the digital age. With high-definition broadcasts, instant replays, and constant social media exposure, today’s athletes face more scrutiny than ever before. Every play, practice, and decision is analyzed by millions, making aesthetics a major factor in how athletes select their protective equipment. This emphasis on appearance is evident in the NFL, where Guardian Caps—designed to reduce head impact forces—have faced resistance primarily due to how they look. “I don’t really like the way it looks,” said quarterback Kyler Murray, while receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. added, “If you could just find a way to make it look more aesthetically pleasing… I feel like nobody wants to wear it because of that reason.”

This performance-first, style-conscious mindset is now influencing athletes at every level, from professional leagues to youth sports. While it does raise safety concerns, it has also sparked a new wave of innovation in athlete protection, forcing leagues to make sweeping rule changes and pushing the safety industry to develop solutions like shock pads that offer both safety and performance.

The Evolution of Protection

In 2025, sports are evolving at the intersection of technology and performance, where protecting athletes no longer means sacrificing mobility or style. As players continue to opt for minimal personal protective gear, focus has shifted to making the playing surface safer. This approach is a game-changer—allowing athletes to maintain their agility and preferred look while benefiting from cutting-edge safety technology built directly into the field. From 2004 to 2025, shock pad usage in fields has gone from less than 5% to nearly 40% and is growing.

We’ve been leading this revolution at Brock USA for over 27 years with our advanced shock pad and infill technology, redefining how player protection is approached. We understand more today than ever before—about athlete safety, long-term field performance, and environmental impact. Brock pads have supported top football programs nationwide—from the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers to our hometown Denver Broncos and Colorado Buffaloes—showing that a well-protected field can enhance athlete safety without compromising performance.

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