If this works, it won’t just be a game changer, it will be a life changer.
What could be the safest football helmet ever created is set to make its NFL debut this coming season.
Twenty-five of the National Football League’s 32 teams have purchased this new type of helmet and will distribute them to their players at practice this spring.
The ZERO1 helmet is made by a Seattle-based startup company called Vicis.
And according to the company’s website, “The ZERO1 delivers breakthroughs in safety based on current, state of the art testing protocols.”
What makes this helmet different from a traditional football helmet is that the ZERO1 features a pliable outer layer and an impact-absorbing core layer that cushions a player’s head against violent collisions.
That’s right, this helmet doesn’t have a hard shell with padding on the inside like the Riddell and Schutt helmets that are currently worn by about 90 per cent of NFL players.
And in testing by the NFL and NFLPA, the ZERO1 was the best among the 33 helmets tested at reducing head impact severity.
So what does this mean?
Possibly, hopefully — fingers crossed — that the ZERO1 reduces, or dare I say it, even eliminates concussions in football.
For the players and their families, I hope it does.
Rick Zamperin is an Assistant Program/News/Senior Sports Director at AM900 CHML and a commentator for Global News.
Comments