Football safety has run the gamut from no safety, to improved safety. First there were no helmets, then leather helmets, then, in the 1960s, the introduction of today’s helmets. This head-covering, protective plastic piece of equipment definitely helps prevent skull fractures, but hasn’t helped prevent concussions which cause the brain to move in the skull. And, as we know, repeated concussions can have serious, if not deadly, consequences —chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE.
Manufactured by VICIS, a “technology” company (they apparently don’t consider themselves a sporting goods company), the new Zero 1 football helmet is the result of neurosurgeons, scientists and engineers working together to come up with a better helmet product. It’s a sophisticated design —at a sophisticated price of $1,500 a helmet, currently catering toward major league football.
The Survey Says…
The helmet has been sold to 25 of the NFL’s 32 teams. Players reportedly will wear the helmet on a voluntary basis. A survey will determine if this helmet indeed reduces the risk of concussions in football players. The industry is hoping that the product will provide confidence to boost performance since the reality of to CTE has, rightly so, given pause to new, young participants (and their parents) concerned about concussions.
VICIS say they hope to introduce a less expensive helmet for “youth” in the next two years and say that are looking into partnerships to help teams conduct fundraisers. They reportedly are setting up a foundation and even researching financing plans. Check out the VICIS website for a video explaining how the company says the helmet works to help prevent concussion.
NOTE: The MAC Alliance is NOT endorsing this product, but we will be very excited to see the results of the NFL survey. Fingers crossed that this highly engineered helmet proves to work, comes down in price and, indeed, is as “revolutionary” as Fox news has called it!
