Head sensors: The interior of this Riddell football helmet shows the arrangment of sensors around the top of the head that can detect potential concussion-causing hits. (Photo courtesy of Riddell)It’s been a very long time since you’ve seen the Golden Gophers mentioned in a top 10 list for college football.
But today’s Star Tribune reports that the University of Minnesota will be one of ten schools in the country using a new sensor system in players’ helmets to detect potential concussion-causing hits. Those sensors send information after every play back to the sideline where a coach or trainer can monitor how the players are doing.
More specifically, each helmet is equipped with six sensors around the crown of the helmet. Those sensors feel the G-forces of hits that the player sustains to the head on any given play. If the hit is hard enough to cause a concussion, an alert is sent to a transmitter on the back of the helmet, which then sends a message to the sideline computer.
A total of 70 Gopher players will be outfitted with the helmets this season and the university is paying about $80,000 for the technology. Riddell is the only helmet maker that makes helmets with the technology, so returning players have the option of continuing with their old, non-equipped helmets, if they prefer.
Gold domes: Amir Pennix rushes through a hole in the Iowa line in a game last year.Beyond monitoring individual hits during the game, the computer program used to run the system will also keep track of the number of hard head hits players receive over the course of the season. It’s more data that coaches and trainers can use to prevent over-exposure of players to hard hits.
Medical people are quick to point out that the new technology won’t prevent concussions. But it will make sideline personnel more aware of potential problems to check out with players. It’s estimated that 85 percent of concussions suffered by football players are not detected.
Former Gopher quarterback Bryan Cupito suffered two concussions during his career that medical personnel discovered on the spot. But he probably had another one in a game against Penn State last year, that they didn’t catch, and he stayed in the game to play more football.
Concussions and football are a growing issue. The National Football League recently held a summit to find ways to diminish the cumulative impact they have of players. Some players who have suffered too many concussions have had to retire early.
While this new technology will be great for Gopher players, it is still only chipping away at the top of the ice burg of sports-related head injuries. There are 300,000 sports concussions suffered each year and about 83 percent of those occur with high school athletes.
I feel that the highschool level should emphasize safety. A player should not mortgage their future by playing a sport.The effects of a head injury may not be known until decades later. The rules should be enforced and the "no play" designation should be exercised.
I agree that they should emphasize safety with high schools. it would make the brain damage risks low, and high rates for going to college.(it was just a thought, nothing tested)
Does anybody know the company Riddell is working with to make this device.?
Great idea. Brain damage cannot be reversed, so its very important to prevent it. If only they could use these for professional boxing :P
I think that it is great that these people are doing this for the good of all athletes. Also, I believe that all football helmets that are made from here on out need to be equipped with this new technology. That way, at least they can somewhat slow down the process until a better and more suitable answer can be found.
I never heard of this till now, it looks safe enough to with stand hard tackles in football. It is amazing!
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