Why do nfl players wear long socks

See end of column for answer. That's up from only one just five years ago, which makes the move toward ebony footwear the game's biggest uniform trend -- and the most overlooked, too. So begins Uni Watch's characteristically detail-oriented survey of the new NFL season, which features some interesting developments.

Ah, but before we can fully appreciate where we're going, we need to understand where we've been. So to get your head back in NFL mode, here's a quick timeline of notable moments in pro football's uniform history:. The referee wears black and white stripes, with red and white for the head linesman, orange and white for the umpire, and green and white for the field judge. All of them switch to the now-standard black and white in Note to tennis fans: While Uni Watch generally approves of anything that gets the word "gaiters" into the sports section, Serena Williams still has a long way to go before her impact on athletic leggings can match Layden's.

All AFL teams do so the following year, while the NFL doesn't catch up to this innovation until the two leagues merge in Despite this ingenious coaching gambit, team interceptions actually increase in the ensuing season.

Just in case you thought you were watching the PGA Tour Fans across America slap their foreheads and say, "So that's what league we're watching! OK, now that we're caught up on the NFL's past, here's what to look for on the gridiron this season:. You wouldn't think the Bengals could make such an ugly uniform even worse, but somehow they've managed.

The flying tiger sleeve patch , which was the best thing about the old uni, has been eliminated; the garish jersey stripings have been expanded from the shoulders to the sleeves; and the home jerseys have this ridiculous white side piping which looks even sillier when paired with the new black pants.

Meanwhile, the league's most embarrassing helmet design remains unchanged. A complete disaster. The Falcons, who've switched back and forth between black and red several times during their uni history , have done it again. Atlanta's red jerseys , which appeared as alternate uniforms last season, will now be the team's primary home jersey. The Colts win this year's subtlety award, thanks to a series of small, traditionalist changes.

In addition to aforementioned black shoes, they've gone to a slightly darker shade of blue supposedly bringing it back to the team's original hue , switched their facemasks from blue to gray, and, in Uni Watch's favorite move of the entire NFL season, restored the horizontal stripes on their socks -- nicely done.

Now if they could just extend those truncated shoulder stripes back down to the armpits. Uni Watch likes this year's crop of commemorative chest patches, which will be worn by the Giants 80th season , Jaguars 10th season , Panthers 10th season , and Rams 10th season in St. In addition, during Week 2, all teams will wear a memorial helmet sticker for former Cardinals safety Pat Tillman, who was killed in Afghanistan.

Arizona will wear the sticker all season. The sock material is moisture wicking, extremely comfortable and lightweight. On the bottom, the sock features "grip threads" which give your foot more stability and feeling in the footbed. Overall, these socks are great for football players as they come in a wide variety of colors and sizes, and feature Under Armour's proprietary moisture wicking and bacteria blocking technology.

These socks are perfect for enhancing long periods of play without reducing wearer comfort. The material Football socks are made out of are just as important as the brand or look. Usually made of varying blends of cotton, polyester, nylon, and elastane or spandex, these performance socks are engineered to quickly wick sweat and remain dry throughout their use. In fact, pure cotton socks are rarely seen on high level athletes because they do not allow moisture wicking and quick drying.

Instead, synthetic materials like nylon and polyester have become increasingly popular among NFL players because of their moisture wicking capacities, durability and shape retention. When shopping for football socks, we recommend looking for a pair made of synthetic material with a small percentage of elastane which adds flexibility, stretch, compression and allows much more comfort.

The player has the sock pulled all the way up to his knees and then slightly pulled down in multiple areas to reduce tension and provide more mobility. This look is worn particularly popular among NFL players and Soccer players. Extra-Long padded socks can help prevent turf burns to the legs when sliding on the ground and blisters to the foot when running around the field. This sock only covers about halfway to the knees. Crew cut socks are worn by athletes that rarely fall to the ground and don't demand much leg protection.

Crew cut socks are more popular among NBA players and Soccer players that wear shin guards. Best worn in combination with leg sleeves, mid cut socks end just above the ankle and offer very minimal leg protection. Williams had taken to the field with a message on his eye black. The message read '' Find the cure. It should be mentioned that the NFL has a dedicated B reast C ancer A wareness M onth where various pink items adorned with images of pink ribbons are worn by players and sold, with some but not all of the profits from the sales going to the American Cancer Society.

Williams also requested that the NFL allow him to wear pink gear all season long to pay tribute to his mother through raising awareness about a cause with which the NFL is actively and proudly involved. The NFL's response to this request? They denied it. At what point does a player showing support for a league-supported cause and the loss of his parent become something that conveys a negative message about the league?

To summarize: The NFL fined Williams for supporting a cause which the NFL gladly throws out its precious uniform guidelines for an entire month in order to accommodate. The NFL saw fit to fine Heyward for that. In all seriousness, who looks upon these charitable and emotional actions and honestly thinks that punishing these actions is an appropriate response? The NFL has this weird complex where even if actions are done with good intentions or without any ill intentions, the actions must conform to this bizarrely precise uniform code.

The league refuses to believe that there is any other way of conveying the image the league wants in a way that doesn't make every player look like the cover model for Dad's Fashion Monthly e. Wearing socks over-the-knees is still a preference of many. Interestingly, wearing football socks over the knees offers rigid support and grip which ultimately prevents the socks from falling.

Of course, it depends upon the quality of cloth used in its creation. Thankfully, its full length provides stability and the socks remain intact even at the end of the game. In cold weather, this choice is a super savor from the freezing temperatures.

Sometimes wearing socks over the knees can be uncomfortable especially in sweaty weather. For that, we have socks that remain below the knees. Many players prefer to fold their long length socks below their knees.