Helmet-to-Body Hits in the NFL Becoming More Than a Concern

In the first game against Tampa Bay, our own Dante Wesley was penalized and ejected for an early hit on a punt return. Now, whether or not his reasons were justified or caused by another player's rookie mistake, the type of hits that are made by gunners today concerns me.

In Sunday’s game between the Steelers and the Oakland Raiders, safety Ryan Mundy was called for a late hit which gave the Raiders a first down, eventually leading to the game-winning touchdown. Again, though, it was the type of hit that Mundy made that caught my eye.

The NFL does have a rule that discourages players using their helmets to initiate contact on another player in a defenseless position, but helmet-to-helmet hits are still allowed. The tenacity of these kinds of blows is a large contributor to the concussions that are becoming front-page news in the NFL right now. 

Aside from the lateness of the hit, I don’t blame Mundy for his helmet bashing. It's a result of standard coaching.  I can still remember my old ball coach yelling at us to get a hat on our man and lay him out. There was never much regard or concern for injury to myself or the opposing team.

A recent dispute between Steeler's Ben Roethlisberger and Hines Ward have put concussions on the ballot for prevention lately, but it hasn’t always been this way.

Just last year, the NFL and the NFLPA agreed upon a program that appointed pre-determined medical facilities to assist former players in knee, hip, and shoulder replacements.  Joint deterioration has been a recurring issue; 1,200 knee injuries alone were reported from 2000 to 2003.

To understand the very real seriousness of a concussion, though, I think it’s important to know what it actually is. Quite simply, a concussion is a blow to the head that jars the brain loose and causes it to shift inside the skull. The results can range from unconsciousness, permanent damage to the brain cells, and internal bleeding.

Doctors are also reporting cases of extensive memory loss, dementia, and encephalopathy (altogether brain loss) in former players. In many cases, X-Rays also show areas of the brain that are permanently inactive, causing a variety of mental and psychological side effects.

The NFL is in no way ignoring the issue of safety, though. Former coach John Madden was recently named as chairman for the Coaches Subcommittee to the Competition Committee, a fraternity of coaches with the sole purpose of establishing a presence of ethical responsibility in the league and proposing new ways to keep players safe on the field.

The committee is comprised of Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Philadelphia’s Andy Reid, San Diego’s Norv Turner, San Francisco’s Mike Singletary, and former Seattle coach Mike Holmgren. They convene with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell every three weeks, sometimes over speakerphone, to discuss further safety measures.

One of those measures was to reduce the four-man wedge during kick returns to a two-man wedge, reducing the number of direct collisions that take place on the field. Another calls for teams to use non team-affiliated doctors to determine whether or not a player suffering from a head injury is ready to return to the field.

Everyone is familiar with the sights and sounds of a good NFL hit. It’s like two cue balls smacking into each other with a resounding CRACK. Contrary to popular opinion, though, it isn't the size of the player that determines the strength of the hit, it's the inertia.  

For example, a 200 lb safety running at full speed can deliver up to 1,600 pounds of leveling force, a strength that can knock any lineman to the turf. 

While some would give the responsibility of these injuries to the ever-increasing size and strength of players, I blame the piece of equipment designed specifically to protect the player, the helmet.

Since its conception in the early twentieth century, the helmet has taken on many shapes and materials. Early models were made of leather until the John T. Riddel company eventually developed the first plastic model. 

In 2002, Riddel broke even greater strides by releasing the Revolution, a state-of-the-art helmet made of polycarbon plastic with a high-tech cushioning system. Another company, the Schutt Sports Group, followed suit with a similar model called the DNA.

Both were created with the purpose of providing a higher level of protection for the player while also offering a few modern conveniences like anti-fungal technology and more resilient pads.

While certainly a step in the right direction, it seems redundant to me that modern helmet designs are still based on models created in 1949!

Rather than introduce a variation of the current helmet, I feel it is the responsibility of these companies and others like it to create a completely new design, one based on fresh perspectives and new technologies.  Instead of continuing the rhetoric of providing pads inside the helmet, why not adopt a system where the interior pads are separated from the outer shell with mini-springs or some other kind of shock absorber?

There are other possible solutions, as well. Nearly thirty years ago, NASA created their Visco elastic foam, a memory foam widely popularized in the form of pillows and mattresses. It was utilized because it retains its shape better than conventional foam, rebounding rapidly after hits.

More recently, Mahercor Laboratories created a jaw positioning mouth guard designed to reduce the force that comes with a hard hit to the head. It has been primarily used by the New England Patriots who reported an astoundingly low two concussions during the 2006 and 2007 season. Whether or not that is a direct result of the new equipment, it’s important to note that, in the same amount of time, the Indianapolis Colts reported close to twenty.

Dow Corning, a silicone and textile manufacturing giant, is also working to improve the world of sports. They recently released several products specifically designed to reduce collision impacts.  The S-Range is based on 3D spacer textile technology and the TP-Range is based on thermoplastic technology.  Both are lightweight and comfortable and could be major contributors to better products on the football field. 

While I can appreciate the efforts Roger Goodel and company are making, there is still vast room for improvement. Some have suggested that teams practice without their helmets to encourage players to find alternate ways of tackling without leading with their head.

I won't go so far as to suggest that the NFL go back to leather helmets; that would be more comical than helpful. But the dangers that come with modern helmets can not go unnoticed. Rule changes and fundraising for retired players is a wonderful measure, but it is not enough.

We, as fans of the greatest game on Earth, can not stand idly by and watch another Troy Aikman or Steve Young retire due to unnecessary head injuries.

Reform is a long time coming, folks, I just hope it comes soon enough.