Some may remember in 2017 the albeit funny-looking covers on the helmets of NFL players but it was keeping them safer and for Doniphan first-year head coach Jameson Allen, that’s always the ultimate goal.
With more than three decades of football coaching experience, Allen knows the dangers of head injuries.
“This helmet cover allows us to bring a lot more safety to what we’re doing because I know a lot of people are worried about concussions and CTE,” he said.
According to its website, Guardian said there are many benefits to its cap other than that it reduces impact. The sizes fit youth through adult, it preserves helmets by having less wear and tear, it dampens vibrations and also is attached by just snaps and Velcro.
While all the bells and whistles are nice, for Allen, it’s about safety.
“I want our parents, I want our community to see that we want to take care of loving our kids and make them as safe as possible,” he said. “So we’re going to do the things and we’re going to bring as much technology into the safety part of it so that they can put their head on the pillow at night and feel comfortable about what their kids are doing.
But the Dons are making use of several of those claims including the youth through adult as even the middle school players have Guardian Caps.
“Every Kid in our football program is wearing a Guardian and not all places do that,” he said.
Allen said Doniphan for Football was willing to pay the extra for every player to have a Guardian Cap.
“They didn’t hesitate,” he said of the group.
It doesn’t end with just the Guardians Caps as Allen said they’re changing the way they train and helping with injury prevention.
“We’re really trying to bring something different to these young men so that when the other people see that we’re going to have some success and we’re doing it in the safest manner possible,” he said. “We’re going to get more people to come out and want to be a part of a program that’s doing things right.