Football helmet with recessed face guard mounting areas

A football helmet having a low-profile face guard mounting configuration, the helmet comprising:

• a one-piece shell including:
• a crown portion defining an upper region of the shell;
• a front portion extending generally forwardly and downwardly from the crown portion;
• left and right side portions extending generally downwardly and laterally from the crown portion, wherein the left and right side portions include an ear flap configured to generally overlie an ear region of a wearer of the helmet, wherein the front portion and the left and right side portions collectively define a frontal opening in the shell, wherein the frontal opening includes opposed peripheral frontal edges;
• a lower recessed face guard attachment region extending along a lower extent of each opposed peripheral frontal edge;
• an upper recessed face guard attachment region extending along an upper extent of the opposed peripheral frontal edges, wherein said recessed face guard attachment region resides inward of an adjacent outer surface of the shell;
• and
• a face guard having a plurality of intersecting bars, wherein an extent of a bar defines an upper peripheral mounting portion, wherein the face guard has two upper peripheral mounting portions arranged in an opposed positional relationship;
• wherein in a secured position, the upper peripheral mounting portions are secured to the upper recessed face guard attachment regions by upper connector brackets affixed to the upper recessed face guard attachment regions to provide the low-profile face guard mounting configuration wherein an inner surface of said upper peripheral mounting portion resides inward of the adjacent outer shell surface and an exterior surface of said upper peripheral mounting portion resides external to the adjacent outer shell surface.