Oct 18, 2011
1980 49ers QB wore speakers on his back to amplify his play calling
In 1980, 49ers quarterback Steve DeBerg got laryngitis and couldn’t call plays loud enough for his teammates to hear him. So they invented a contraption with speakers that strapped to his back connected to a microphone in his helmet.
There’s a 20-second clip at 2:26 in this video about DeBerg’s amplification…
It must have worked OK, because when he lost his voice again 3 years later as a Denver Bronco, his new team had his old get-up sent from San Francisco…
(via Uni Watch)
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Deberg later became the oldest man to start a game at quarterback at 44 years old for the Atlanta Falcons in 1998.
Best prank ever: set that thing to play his hit “Lady in Red” every time he steps up to the line. I’ve never seen you look as lovely as you looked tonight…
/DeBurgh
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