Jim Doran and His Helmet
June 17th, 2010 | Published in Uniforms
I don’t usually like cards that picture players wearing their helmets, because the helmets cover too much of the players’ faces. Well, here’s an exception: it’s Jim Doran’s 1958 Topps card, where his helmet looks as if it’s been through a battle. What a great image!
I was curious about the color of the helmet, since I thought the Lions had always worn silver ones. Indeed, the Helmet Project web site shows only silver helmets for the Lions. I found a statement on another site, though, that said that in the 1950s, the Lions had to paint their helmets a dark color for night games, so that the players would not confuse the helmets with the white ball. I’m guessing that that’s why Doran’s is blue, and it might also explain why the paint is chipping off. (Also see my earlier article, “What’s with the White Footballs?“)
I was curious about Doran, too, so I looked him up. I learned that he played nine years for the Lions, then two for the Cowboys after they picked him up in the 1960 expansion draft. I also found an article saying that he scored the game-winning touchdown, on a pass from Bobby Layne, in the 1953 NFL Championship game. And, finally, I learned that he was the Cowboys’ first Pro Bowler, in 1960.
You can see all of Jim Doran’s cards in the Vintage Football Card Gallery.
