Guardian Caps, protective headwear worn on the outside of football helmets, have drastically lowered the numbers of concussions and brain injuries for NFL players within the past three years. According to the NFL, Guardian Caps, on average. Guardian Caps reduce the risk of a concussion by 10%. High school football teams have faced complaints from parents because the gear has not been implemented for younger players. In August 2024 alone, three high school football players across the United States lost their lives after enduring head injuries, causing demand for the head protection to rise even more.
According to the National Library of Medicine, tackle football has been ranked number two in the most concussions across all sports, just following rugby. Summit football players reflect this statistic.
Sophomore Jackson Cornett has played football his entire life, and said he has acquired countless concussions.
“I have had many concussions. So many I have forgotten the exact amount,” Cornett said.
Concussion protocol is a lengthy process that helps to keep athletes safe, but head football coach Eric Stewart acknowledges that players will many times push through injuries to continue playing.
“If they do [have a concussion], they don’t tell us, which is somewhat difficult [because] if people don’t tell us, we don’t know,” Stewart said.
This is where Guardian Caps come into play. Even though many concussions aren’t reported, the NFL has noticed a significant decrease in concussions since the implementation of the headgear in practices. Athletic Trainer Tony Mosello has seen improvements in the number of concussions for professional players in the media, but sees various things that come into play that limit the productivity of the gear.
“[The decrease in concussions since the implementation of Guardian Caps] doesn’t necessarily take other factors into account; rule changes and improvements, form tackling, and educated coaches all have directly lowered the number of concussions as well,” Mosello said.
Even though the numbers are showing that Guardian Caps are beneficial and should be implemented in high school games, there are many limitations that cause high schools to not provide them to their players.
Stewart said that one of the main reasons players aren’t equipped with them is the cost of the caps.
“It’s another piece of equipment. They’re cost prohibitive and we don’t have a ton of extra money just laying around,” Stewart said.
Guardian Caps can run for the price of seven dollars to $125, which Cornett recognizes as a drawback.
“I think they are a waste of money. Companies are selling them for around $100 and they may last one season,” Cornett said.
Due to the cost, the football program has not had the ability to purchase these for every player. So they only have a few in storage, collecting dust. Mosello understands that the caps would not hurt players, but said that it’s not possible to provide every player with another piece of equipment, making it difficult to decide whether they should be used at all.
“Due to their cost, it’s not feasible to suggest all football players will be able to use and afford a Guardian Cap. How does a coach decide who gets to use one? While I can only speak about Coach Stewart, it would be an impossible choice for him to make as he truly loves all of his players equally,” Mosello said.
