COVINGTON TWP Pa., Sept 27 2024- The National Football League [NFL] has a new form of protection for their players which can reshape the way concussions impact the league. This protection is a padded helmet cover known as the Guardian Cap. These Guardian Caps have most commonly been seen being worn by players during practices. However, this year, the NFL made it optional for players to wear them during games. This change has brought a multitude of players across the league who are firm believers in Guardian Caps and have started to wear them during games. Although they have only been seen during collegiate practices, it would not be surprising if the Guardian Caps start to emerge during the season. With their large growth in popularity, along with the safety that is promised with them, these changes have an opportunity to be implemented in the high school game.
According to an ESPN article written by Keith Jenkins, Erin and Lee Hanson created a company known as Guardian Sports. Their goal in the company’s inception was to develop the safest equipment possible for athletes. With the Guardian Cap, they wanted to create a product to add extra padding to a football helmet and reduce the amount of concussions in the sport. After multiple designs and tests, Guardian Caps officially were strapped on helmets during practices starting in 2015. Since that year, the popularity of Guardian Caps has grown exponentially. As a result of this growth in popularity, the NFL officially adopted Guardian Caps in 2021.
With a growth in popularity, the Guardian Caps have started to make their mark in the high school game. At North Pocono, the varsity, junior varsity, and freshman teams all wear them during practices. Brady Lavery, a senior running back, says that “before they [Guardian Caps] came around, there were a lot more head injuries for players all around the world.” Lavery even has personal experiences to prove that this new form of protection for football players is making a significant impact. “Back during my freshman year, I got a concussion and I was out for three weeks. That was really upsetting to me.” When it comes to in-game use of the Guardian Caps, Brady believes that “it should be left up to the choice of the player. If you want to wear one you can, but if you don’t want to you don’t have to.” In the realm of overall usage, Brady believes that “ultimately they should be adopted into high school football, but wearing them in game should be a player’s choice.”
Not only have the Guardian Caps grown popular with players, athletic training staffs have also seen the benefits of this form of protection. Ms. Jessica Walter, one of North Pocono’s athletic trainers, has seen, “less concussions with the use of Guardian Caps.” However, Ms. Walter also thinks that the reduced number of concussions could be, “caused by many other factors other than just the use of Guardian Caps.” When it comes to their in-game use, Ms. Walter says that high schools do have the option to use them in game, “but I have not seen anyone use them in varsity or junior varsity level games.” Because of the time players in the NFL have spent in the game and how many concussions they may have had, Ms. Walter believes that the Guardian Caps may be slightly more beneficial to them as opposed to high school players. Her reasoning behind this belief is “just because NFL players are so much bigger and they hit so much harder than high school kids do.”
Some big names around the NFL have started to wear the Guardian Caps in games. Among the most notable are Indianapolis Colts running back Johnathan Taylor, Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah, and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman James Daniels. Young athletes tend to idolize their favorite professional athletes. This includes the equipment that their favorite athlete wears. As even brighter stars in the NFL start to wear the Guardian Caps, high school athletes may follow suit.
