NFL: Concussion Proof Helmets Won’t Save Football
Football is a gruesome game. It is also one of the most watched and anticipated sporting event for fans and players on a weekly basis.
In 1869 the game of modern football began with a combination of soccer and rugby, two sports that did not use helmets. The method of tackling involved wrapping, holding or wrestling a player who has control of the ball to the ground. Though this is still used in today’s NFL league play, the use of blunt force changed the need to include helmets. Was it the concern of concussions back then? No, it was the dreaded cauliflower ear that sparked the need for helmets in football.
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The leather helmets of 1903 were soft, thin leather which included thin padding for minimal protection. The helmets could be folded and put in a players pocket. However the bashing of heads and paralyzing concussions were the main staple of the game. After World War II, the organization went to a much harder leather, seeing the need to protect the head more from fractures. Later on plastic was introduced and no matter what they did, nothing could stop the rise of concussions in each game.
But consider this, the Latin word for concussion is concutere, which means to “shake violently” like a mega thrust earthquake. This is when the fault is thrust upward and slams back down creating a violent reverberation. The brain does the same thing when jolted with tremendous forces within the skull until it finally settles.
However, instead of everything going back to normal right away, the effects linger on the player with continued blurred vision, dizziness, vomiting and sometimes damage to the blood vessels.
It was early 2000 that neuropathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu worked on football player Mike Webster, whose death left unanswered questions to his prior strange behavior. Dr. Omalu discovered that repetitive injuries to the brain resulted in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or as we have come to know it as CTE. Since then, the list of NFL players who have been diagnosed with CTE is astronomical and will continue to rise since there is no current protective head gear to prevent it. The rise of concussions last year alone forced the NFL to admit the existence of CTE.
A study was conducted In 2014 by Dr. Stefan Duma and a team from Virginia Tech in which they developed a 5-star crash rating for football helmets. Kind of like what you see in advertised in car commercials. The STAR evaluation system would rate helmets by how many stars it received. The higher the STAR rating the reduction in concussion risk. However, the analysis is based on data trends and probabilities, therefore the risk is on the player. In other words, the player can still get a concussion even with a high rated helmet. You can read more about the study here.
"“You’ll never have a concussion-proof helmet because injury is all about risk. But the better helmets lower your risk. That can be substantial. We found the best helmet lowered risk of concussion by 85%” – Dr. Stefan Duma"
As of today the highest rated helmet is the Riddell 360, the sole supplier of helmets for the NFL. The Riddell 360 goes for around $400, and features a hard polycarbonate outer casing and is designed to recoil off initial impact allowing the absorbing foam lining to take all the impact. But the real problem has not been addressed. Though it is true that the helmets have protected the skull from fractures, it cannot prevent the brain from moving. The helmet would have to prevent the brain from moving when a hit by player-to-player or ground contact occurs.
So what does this mean for the game of football? Do players such as 23-year-old Chris Borland of the San Francisco 49ers continue to end their football careers early in the fear of developing CTE overtime? At the end of the day it has to start with the how the game is played to minimize such injuries. That means removing any hit to the upper body that includes the helmet touching or leading to the shoulder or chest. The NFL will have no choice but to change the way the game of football is played. It’s inevitable.
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The game of football is filled with gridiron greats, amazing athletic feats and epic battles. But it is also filled with stories of deteriorating athletes, hurting and desperate for relief. The NFLPA needs to take part in partnering with experts on teaching players how to tackle effectively without causing lasting head trauma to themselves or fellow players. Let’s hope that we as fans can continue to watch the game we love with all its bells and whistles, but minus the horrific future outcomes of our favorite players.