To enhance player health and safety, SAFR Sports and the United States Football League (USFL) announced today that the league is using SAFR Helmet Covers during practices. SAFR’s covers, which tightly fit over typical helmets and are indistinguishable because they match the color and finish of any team’s uniform, have been scientifically proven to provide added protection against impacts that can cause head injuries.
“Our league is committed to player health and safety and our decision to partner with SAFR Sports demonstrates that commitment,” said Daryl Johnston, USFL President of Football Operations. “SAFR’s data shows the impressive impact their product has in decreasing the potential for concussive and sub-concussive hits. It’s obviously better than a helmet alone and we felt that it was a beneficial compliment for our players.”
SAFR Helmet Covers were recently tested on popular 5-Star helmets at Virginia Tech’s Helmet Lab, and results showed that adding a SAFR cover lowered the risk of concussion by as much as 77%. VA Tech lab results are consistent with SAFR Sports data from an independent three-year on-field study at a major Pennsylvania university, where concussive impacts were reduced by up to 72% — data that has been published in medical journals, including the Journal of Concussion.
While helmet manufacturers have made strides in safety, VA Tech data proves that wearing a SAFR Helmet Cover adds more protection, particularly to both the back and side of the head – two of the most common locations for head injury in football. SAFR Helmet Covers, made in the United States and approved for game play, are worn by nearly 300 teams in college, high school and youth football teams across the country.
SAFR Spokesman Ikem Ekwonu, who wore a SAFR Helmet Cover during his All-American career at North Carolina State and now plays for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL, added “It’s great that the USFL is taking this important step in protecting their players. When I wore my SAFR Helmet Cover in college, I never walked off the field with even a headache.”
“We are proud to partner with the USFL, and applaud their effort to make their players safer on the field,” said SAFR Sports President & CEO John Zeglinski. “Families and friends of players who are wearing a SAFR Helmet Cover have more peace of mind when watching them play.”
About SAFR Sports
SAFR Sports is staffed by former football players and professionals, all who share the singular mission of making football and all contact sports safer through science. SAFR Helmet Covers, worn by nearly 300 college teams, high schools, and youth football leagues, has been proven to reduce impact accelerations that reduce the adverse effects of repeated sub-concussive blows. Other important advantages of the SAFR Helmet Cover include being permitted for game-play by the National Federation of High Schools. In addition, the SAFR Helmet Cover is custom-manufactured to model and size, and will match the color and finish of existing helmets.
