Have you noticed that those big, bulging shoulder pads worn by NFL players have shrunk over the years?
The New York Times did and it looked at how shoulder pads have become sleeker and smaller -- as well as more protective -- through the years.
This season the NFL mandated leg and thigh pads. While many players were avoiding that protection during the last few years, technological breakthroughs allowed manufacturers to create lighter and smaller shoulder pads.
-- Bill Bradley, contributing reporter
