Virginia Tech leads in safety on and off the football field
Researchers set the tone for safety in college football with trailblazing tests on helmet covers.
In fall 2022, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab researched and tested various helmet covers on the market. While the right helmet can reduce concussion risk, manufacturers now sell gear for added protection.
Though many varsity football teams were implementing add-ons, the overall impact the covers had on helmet performance was not fully known. This research was geared toward helping Hokies play worry-free football – something often on the minds of coaches, trainers, and players alike.
“Part of my concern is I don’t want to have to worry about safety,” said Johnny Garrett, Virginia Tech football offensive lineman. “I want to be able to go out there and play as hard as I can and do what I need to do without that really being a thought in the back of my head.”
To help players feel as safe as possible, the Helmet Lab tested the concussion risk of two of the most popular five-star football helmets on the market, both with and without three kinds of helmet covers: The Guardian Cap XT, the Guardian Cap NXT, and the SAFR helmet cover.
Get inside the Helmet Lab
Join Barry Miller, director of outreach, for a live virtual tour of the lab. Experience the cutting-edge technology used to test and enhance helmet performance.
Registration is $10 and includes a custom Virginia Tech Helmet Lab drawstring sports bag and helmet decal and a $5 gift to the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab Annual Fund.
Student researchers conducted more than 320 tests over three days, and undisputed evidence showed that a five-star helmet was made even safer by all three covers.
According to the published results, which are based on the lab’s peer-reviewed and published 5-STAR helmet rating system — STAR stands for Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk — all helmet add-ons tested reduced head acceleration and the amount of reduction varied by the model and football helmet.
On average, the add-ons reduced
- Linear acceleration between 3 and 8 percent
- Rotational acceleration between 5 to 14 percent
- Concussion risk ranging between 15 and 34 percent
Reduced linear and rotational acceleration minimizes head movement and therefore, reduces concussion risk. However, an add-on can only enhance a helmet’s performance, not make up for a poor helmet, so the helmet model is the most important factor in reducing risk.
“Everyone's looking to reduce head impact exposure which is how frequently you hit your head and how hard you hit your head,” said Steve Rowson, director of Virginia Tech’s Helmet Lab. “These covers address how hard you hit your head by reducing acceleration.”
He said the lab evaluated different covers on the market and that after reviewing the test results, the Virginia Tech football team selected the patented Scientifically Advanced Force Reduction technology from SAFR Sports. Since 2020, the company has been designing football helmet covers with the aim of preventing concussions.
“Both Guardian and SAFR offered products that could effectively reduce head acceleration, and thus concussion risk,” Rowson said.
In light of the findings, Virginia Tech’s football team began wearing SAFR Sports helmet covers in 2023.
Scoring a touchdown for safety
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center reports between 1.7 million and 3 million sports and recreation-related concussions happen each year. About 300,000 of those are from football.
For well over a decade, the Helmet Lab’s team of researchers have been offering unbiased helmet ratings to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions regarding helmets – a mission that began with the lab’s founder Stefan Duma, who started the lab after discovering there wasn’t a scientifically proven way to evaluate helmet safety. The testing is driven by the goal of reducing concussion risk.
“The helmet covers have been something we’ve been following for a lot of years,” said Zack Maust, the team’s concussion research coordinator. “So when we got the stamp of approval from Dr. Duma and his lab saying these are the best out there, we wanted to put them on our athletes as soon as we could.”
One player said he can feel a physical difference while wearing the helmet with and without the cover.
“When you’re wearing the helmet without the protector, you can definitely feel the difference,” said C.J. McCray, defensive lineman. “You feel more of the impact. The helmet also feels a little different on your head, but whenever I have the cap on, it absorbs most of the hits. It continues to absorb throughout the game, and it’s very helpful.”
The Helmet Lab has a mission firmly rooted in injury prevention. Coupled with evidence-based research, the use of helmet covers have increased the safety of Hokies when they take the field.
“Ultimately, we're looking for the very best head protection for athletes of all kinds," Rowson said. "This is just one component. We're working to figure out which products best reduce risk for our players.”
