Herbert Gustave "Dick" Plasman (April 6, 1914 – June 23, 1981) was a professional American football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals. He is notably the last player in the NFL to play a game without a helmet.^[1]

Plasman was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 1937 NFL Draft.^[2] On November 6, 1938, he crashed into Wrigley Field's brick wall during a home game against the Green Bay Packers, suffering a severe scalp laceration, three fractured ribs, a broken wrist, and a fractured arm.^[3] There were concerns about him ever playing again due to the wrist and arm injuries. However, he recovered and continued to not wear a helmet -- as he did in the 1940 NFL Championship game on December 8, 1940 and Chicago's 1941 NFL Championship game victory on December 21, 1941, two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.^[3] Plasman entered the Air Force in July 1942 and thus missed the 1942 and 1943 seasons, but returned for the 1944 season -- when he was forced to wear a helmet due to the new NFL helmet rule.^[3]

"Ferocious on his blocks, a great pass rusher and a receiver, too. The guy was terrific, a force out there. He was worthy of the Hall of Fame".^[4]

— Paul (Dr. Z) Zimmerman