Football helmet with cheek supports

A football helmet comprising:

• a rigid shell made of polycarbonate, ABS plastic or thermoplastic composite material having a left earflap and a right earflap, each of the left and right earflaps having a lower edge and a front edge above the lower edge;
• two cheek supports, each removably connected to an earflap;
• each cheek support comprising an outer brace and an inner plate removably connected to the outer brace by fasteners passing through through-going holes formed in the earflap;
• the outer brace having a lower edge having a contour shaped to follow a contour of the lower edge of the earflap without extending beyond the lower edge of the earflap;
• the inner plate having a lower edge having a contour shaped to follow the contour of the lower edge of the earflap without extending beyond the lower edge of the earflap and an extension extending from a body of the inner plate and beyond the front edge of the earflap, wherein a dihedral angle of about 15 degrees to about 25 degrees is formed between the extension and the body;
• and
• a cheek pad removably attached to the inner plate, the cheek pad comprising a base layer and an inner layer composed of one or more inner pads, at least one of said inner pads positioned on said extension.

A football helmet comprising:

• a rigid shell made of polycarbonate or ABS plastic plastic or thermoplastic composite material having a left earflap and a right earflap, each of the left and right earflaps having a lower edge and a front edge above the lower edge;
• each earflap having a convex polygon earhole and a concave polygon earhole;
• two cheek supports, each removably connected to an earflap;
• each cheek support comprising an outer brace and an inner plate removably connected to the outer brace by fasteners passing through through-going holes formed in the earflap;
• the outer brace having a lower edge having a contour shaped to follow a contour of the lower edge of the earflap without extending beyond the lower edge of the earflap;
• the inner plate having a lower edge having a contour shaped to follow the contour of the lower edge of the earflap without extending beyond the lower edge of the earflap and an extension extending from a body of the inner plate and beyond the front edge of the earflap, wherein a dihedral angle of about 20 degrees is formed between the extension and the body;
• and
• a cheek pad removably attached to the inner plate, the cheek pad enclosed in a fabric shell and comprising a base layer and an inner layer composed of one or more inner pads, at least one of said inner pads positioned on said extension.