Football takes a lot of grit—and no, not the breakfast kind—but where’s the line between grit and unnecessary danger? Football is one of the most physical sports that there is so injuries are bound to occur. However, the NFL is doing what they can to prevent as many major head injuries as possible. One of their latest measures is the authorized use of guardian caps during games and practices.
From Helmets to Halos
According to NFL research, guardian caps are designed to absorb up to 10% of the impact from a blow to the head. The caps are a soft shelled covering that players can wear atop their helmets for extra protection from long term brain damage the sport can cause. The constant blows to the athletes heads have resulted in many cases of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), or the death of nerve cells in the brain. This condition makes it hard for the affected to think, talk, walk and can even result in memory loss, but it is the hope of Guardian Sports to mitigate this condition.
While the NFL doesn’t require guardian caps, if the athletes opt out of wearing the caps, they are required to select one of the newer helmet models that are supposedly just as absorbent of blows to the head. Players such as Buccaneers tackle Luke Goedeke, Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers and Titans tight end Josh Whyle are among the handful of players that have been seen wearing these life-savers during regular season matchups.
Headstrong
Many of the players have mixed emotions about the use of these guardian caps. Despite having many notable head injuries, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sees no guardian caps in his future saying it's a “personal choice.” This comment of his received some backlash on social media with people saying “CTE already hitting” and “CTE talking to him like Venom.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Carolina Panthers tight end Colin Thompson is a big supporter of Guardian caps. “If it gives me a chance to come home and talk to my daughter 20 years from now and be able to articulate and feel normal, and give me a better shot at that, yeah, I'm all about it,” said Thompson. One of the main reasons that players decide not to wear these caps is because of the way that it looks. While the caps may not be aesthetic and players may not be able to flaunt their shiny helmets, Thompson says that this loss of “swagginess” has no effect on the level of football being played.
Guardian Sports, the creators of the cap, has been able to broaden the use of these helmet coverings. According to their website, guardian caps have now been dispersed to over 500 college programs, along with about 5,000 high school and 1,000 youth programs all around the nation. While Guardian caps are still on the come up, the product is being used by many more athletes of all ages, and the company is seeing its dream of preventing CTE come to fruition.
Edited by Taylor N. Hall
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