The Guardian Cap: Revolutionizing Safety in Football

Written by Keyara Nelson

Thumbnail and Banner Photo by Mark Brown on Getty Images

Guardian Caps, the soft-shell covers that fit over football helmets, have become a significant development in the effort to prevent football-related head injuries. The style of the Guardian Caps is engineered for impact reduction: the soft padded layer goes around the hard-shell of the original helmet and can reduce impact by 33%. The rise in popularity of these caps, seen across various levels of the sport from the NFL to University teams, marks a crucial step toward enhancing player safety. As these new helmets receive more recognition and acceptance, it can be expected that they may be spotted in future games. Football players at SMU have already spoken their praises for the helmet, which leads me to believe that we could be seeing these helmets in our own Huskies Stadium.

Background

It is no secret that football, a sport beloved for its intensity and physicality, carries an inherent risk. Detailed in various reports, films, documentaries, and books, concussions have plagued the sport of football. Many studies of American football players have identified a serious consequence of repeated traumatic brain injuries. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, occurs when repeated head impacts cause tangles of a protein called tau to accumulate in the brain. This buildup leads to brain damage that closely resembles the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Over time, CTE can result in dementia and, ultimately, death.

The Guardian Cap was developed in 2010 to address the urgent need for advancements in football helmet technology, which had seen little change since the 1960s. Erin and Lee Hanson, owners of The Hanson Group LLC, drew on their 20+ years of experience in material science to engineer, patent, and manufacture the Guardian Cap. Initially, they collaborated with another company to design a fully soft-shelled helmet. However, when they presented this innovation to football executives, it failed to gain traction. The Hansons quickly realized that altering the look and sound of the game was a dealbreaker for many players, fans, and coaches. In response, they pivoted to create the more affordable Guardian Cap, which could be easily attached to helmets during practice and removed for games. While it wasn’t a complete solution, reducing impact during practice was a significant step forward. 

The Technology

The caps are designed to absorb and dissipate impact energy more effectively than traditional helmets alone. According to the Guardian's website, the science behind Guardian Caps is grounded in physics. The technology incorporates an outer "soft" material with the appropriate density, stiffness, and energy-absorbing properties. This soft outer layer absorbs much of the force, ensuring that the force transmitted to the interior helmet padding—and ultimately to the player's head—is greatly diminished. This concept is similar to the soft wall technology used in NASCAR or the soft bumpers and airbags in automobiles, all of which serve to protect the individual by reducing the force of impact. By adding this extra layer, the damage can be reduced and football players can be provided with a safer alternative to the traditional helmets.

The Results

After the release of the Guardian Caps, much research has been poured into determining whether or not these helmets are truly beneficial to the athletes. Whilst results have varied, a genuine consensus is that the Guardian Caps can be beneficial. According to Sean Cupp, the lead medical physician for the Cleveland Browns, “use of the Guardian Cap NXT by offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends, and linebackers during the 2022 preseason resulted in a 52 percent reduction in concussions for those positions during the mandated period. In addition, there was an estimated average of 15-20 percent reduction in impact severity for every helmet-to-helmet shell contact in which both players were wearing the Guardian Cap.” Much of the negative feedback from the helmet comes from aesthetics and the few times that the cap detached from the helmet during impact. Adjustments have since been made to improve the appearance of the Guardian Caps, as well as limit the cases of detachment. 

SMU Steps Up

From my perspective, it's exciting to see effective innovation making waves across various levels of football! The idea that a piece of padding can make such a difference in protecting players is both impressive and reassuring. This innovation is a testament to how far the sport has come in prioritizing player safety, reflecting a broader shift in the culture of the sport. A previous article written by SMU Journal editor, Theressa Jabbour, points out the frequency of head injuries in American Football players. Her article, titled “Minding Your Brain: Head Injuries”, highlights a statistic from a 2018 report by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons that states an estimated 454,407 sports-related head injuries were treated at American hospitals, with 51,892 being a result of American football. This number is significantly higher in comparison to many other popular sports, such as baseball, basketball, and hockey. Whilst the staggering number of concussions occurring in football will not suddenly disappear, it is promising to see that change is being made and slowly accepted. Following a league meeting in March 2022, Guardian Caps were mandated by the NFL. This verdict has sparked a ripple effect across many other leagues, including within our own U-Sports Football League.

Last August 14, SMU Football players Liam Macdonald and Isaiah Okoli were seen on CTV News discussing the Guardian Caps and their future in the football world. Okoli, reflecting on his experience, highlighted the stark contrast between the equipment he used growing up and the new technology: “I grew up playing with just a hard plastic," he noted. "But I can definitely see them being an everyday thing." Okoli’s comment underscores the growing acceptance of Guardian Caps as more than just a temporary safety measure but a permanent fixture in the sport. Macdonald adds to this notion by emphasizing the practical benefits of the caps during gameplay. He praised the helmets for their ability to reduce the force of impacts, making them an essential tool for player safety. “You get used to it after a couple of days, and they take the initial pop out of the hits,” Macdonald explained, highlighting how quickly players can adapt to the new gear.

The Future of the Guardian Caps

As the technology of football continues to evolve, the full impact of innovations like Guardian Caps remains a mystery. Will these soft-shell covers become standard equipment, reshaping the sport and reducing injuries across all leagues? Or will they serve as just one piece in a larger puzzle of safety advancements? Only time will tell if the creation of these caps will lead to a broader transformation in how the game is played and how players are protected. For now, SMU fans can look forward to seeing how these changes might influence the 2024-2025 season. With SMU Huskies football already undergone, we will be watching closely to see if any of these changes can already be seen on the field. Be sure to check the Huskies football schedule and show your support for our players this season, or catch a game online at AUS TV!

Melissa Alvarez Del Angel