“Joe Namath Used to Wear It”: Dan Marino Finally Opens Up About the Origin Story Behind His Iconic Face Masks

Back in the day, NFL players had a lot more options when it came to the kind of face mask they put on their helmets. Well, maybe not complete choice, but there were definitely more varieties.

The classic one with a bar down the middle, popular among linemen like Mean Joe Greene… the single bar across that kickers often wore… or the big, neck-protecting face mask favored by Dan Marino. But as the game evolved and research improved on the safest ways to protect players, face masks gradually started looking more and more similar.

Gone are the days of Marino’s preferred face mask, which protected him nearly down to the collarbone. QBs generally liked to have fewer bars in their face mask because it allowed them to see and move better. But not Marino. The former Dolphin saw his idol, Joe Namath, wear that bulky face mask back in the 1960s and 1970s, and he wanted to follow in his hero’s footsteps in every way he could.

“Joe had that kind of mask, you know. I grew up watching Joe and loved him because of the white shoes, the long hair, wearing fur coats, the mask he wore,” Marino said on Fitz & Whit.

“I think my first year in college, I wore the regular quarterback mask. And the next year, they started making those. And I was like, ‘Okay, I’m gonna wear those. The one kind of like Joe Namath.’ And ever since then, I kinda just wore ’em. Plus, it covers up a little more too, in case, you never know,” he added.

Marino was wearing it not only for fashion, but also for its function. Back in the 1980s, when Marino started for the Miami Dolphins, defenders were allowed to do a lot more to quarterbacks compared to the restrictions they have now.

That’s why Marino appreciated the additional protection of that face mask. Though, as host of the show, Ryan Fitzpatrick pointed out, he wouldn’t have to worry about that these days.

You won’t find anyone rocking the Marino/Namath-style face mask these days. Especially not a quarterback. And that’s not the only style that’s gone the way of the Dodo. The single-bar facemasks were the last ones to go, as they were banned in 2004.

However, Scott Player did continue wearing one until he retired in 2008, as those who already wore such a face mask before the ban were grandfathered in.