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PAGE 6A October 2023 PAGE 6B April/May 2025
NFL Has Seven New Helmet Models for 2025
The NFL recently shared the annual helmet laboratory testing results conducted in collaboration with the NFLPA, highlighting new top-performing helmet models available to NFL players for the 2025 season. Notably, the laboratory testing results are supported by recent on-field data; players in top-performing helmets had a substantially lower rate of concussions than players wearing lesser-performing helmets. Building on a record-setting number of new models (12) for the 2024 season, including five that tested better than any helmet ever worn in the league, the seven new helmets available to players this year all ranked in the Top-Performing category. Lesser-performing helmets have transitioned into the Not Recommended category on the 2025 poster. Helmets that are now in the Not Recommended group performed worse in laboratory testing and were found to have a nearly 30% higher concussion rate on-field than the highest-ranking helmets. “It is another major step forward for player safety that the laboratory testing of the best helmets equated with lower injury rates on-field. The top-ranked helmets are performing as predicted – there is a significant decrease in concussion rates for the players wearing them,” said NFL Executive Vice President overseeing Player Health and Safety Jeff Miller. “Our goal is to encourage all players to move into better-performing helmets for the 2025 season," he said. The 2024 season marked the largest safety improvement in helmets worn on-field since 2021, contributing to the fewest concussions in an NFL season on record. This was a 17% reduction compared to the 2023 season. As the 2025 season approaches, approximately 30% of players across the league are not wearing Top-Performing helmets, putting them at an increased risk of injury based on recent data. “As helmet technology continues to improve, widespread adoption among players continues to make a difference,” said NFL Chief Football Administrative Officer Dawn Aponte. “Equipment staff at the club level serve a critical role in helping players understand the current offerings and work with them to select an option that levels up protection and offers a great fit. We are working closely with the clubs to support their efforts to move players into better-performing helmets.” Many of the Not Recommended models have newer corresponding options in the Top-Performing group and nearly all top-ranked helmets for 2025 have an element of fit customization, utilizing innovative technology such Alabama Public Television (APT) is expanding its coverage of Alabama High School Athletic Association football coverage into the regular season and playoffs beginning with the 2025 season, announced APT Executive Director Wayne Reid and AHSAA TV Network Executive Producer Vince Earley of Broadway Productions/WOTM. TV. “We are excited to bring more high school football to the state with regular season and playoff games,” said Reid. “APT’s coverage of the championships have been received with great enthusiasm. We’re excited to highlight more student-athletes and the excitement of the regular season and playoffs that happen across the state every week starting in August.” APT has broadcast the AHSAA Super 7 State Football Championships and the AHSAA State Basketball Championships live over its statewide network the past two seasons – providing live television coverage to virtually every household in Alabama, said AHSAA Executive Director Heath Harmon. “This helped the AHSAA reach its goal of providing live coverage to the entire state. We are grateful for our relationship with Alabama Public Television and Broadway Productions.” The expanded coverage will include 16 additional regular-season and state playoff games leading up to the finals as well as the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic and the AHSAA North-South All-Star Classic football games played in December after completion of the Super 7 championships. The AHSAA Game of the Week production will also include a pre-game program to be televised live at 5 p.m., each week over APT and re-shown at 6 over the AHSAA TV/WOTM.TV leading up to the kickoff each week. The expanded coverage will begin with the AHSAA Kickoff Classic season-opening games set for August 21-22. Teams are still being finalized. APT will carry the regular-season AHSAA TV Network Game of the Week each Thursday. When the playoffs begin, APT will also carry the AHSAA TV Network Playoff Game of the Week
as head scans or adjustable padding options. As helmet technology has continued to advance, the number of Guardian Cap Optional helmets has also increased (to 10), affording players additional safety options as they make their helmet choice; players in positions covered by the Guardian Cap requirement may instead choose to wear one of these helmets and forgo a Guardian Cap for practices. Helmet posters with these results are prominently displayed in all club locker rooms. This season all helmets outside of the Top-Performing group (as indicated by green on the helmet poster) will be marked as Not Recommended (as indicated by yellow) and helmets that have been newly prohibited will continue to appear in red. The adjustments to the rankings are designed to help encourage adoption of better-performing models. There are seven (7) newly prohibited helmets, previously in the Not Recommended group, that will not be available for on-field use in 2025. All these helmets ranked in the Top-Performing group as recently as 2022, demonstrating how quickly helmet performance has improved in only a few short years. The technology behind two of this year's new models – Light Apache Pro and Light Gladiator Thunder – was developed by awardees of the NFL Helmet Challenge, a $3 million competition designed to accelerate helmet performance and safety for NFL players. Their inclusion in the top-performing group of this year's rankings reflects the league's commitment to working with a wide range of engineers and material scientists to generate new, highly effective approaches to helmet design. The NFL, in collaboration with the NFLPA, annually conducts laboratory testing performed by jointly appointed biomechanical experts to evaluate which helmets best reduce head impact severity. Top-performing helmets were also evaluated using position-specific test methodologies for quarterbacks, offensive linemen and defensive linemen. These tests recreate the unique impacts players at each position tend to experience on the field. Last season, nearly 30% of players in positions for which there were position- specific offerings (OL, DL, QB) wore a position-specific helmet. each Friday night – culminating with the football broadcasts with the 2025 Super 7 State Championships to be held at Birmingham’s Protective Stadium December 3-5. “Beginning with the 2025 season, the Kickoff Classic, and the AHSAA/WOTM 10 Game of the Week contests and four playoff games will be simulcast on Alabama Public TV and WOTM.TV,” said Earley. “We are excited to be able to bring these events to virtually every household in the state via the reach of APT. This will allow us to showcase schools from every corner of the state.” All the games will continue to be live video streamed over the NFHS Network as well. Earley also announced that Mickey Shadrix, who has worked in Alabama’s television broadcast industry for more than 25 years, is joining Broadway Communications, the parent company of WOTM.TV and AHSAA TV. “We are proud to add him as our Director of Communications and Special Events,” said Earley. “His expertise will be invaluable moving forward, especially with these projects.” Shadrix, who has been the play-by-play announcer for the AHSAA Game of the Week, is excited about the upcoming expansion of coverage. “Today's announcement marks a significant milestone for high school sports in Alabama,” he said. “With this expanded partnership between the AHSAA TV Network and APT, more schools and student- athletes will receive statewide recognition. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the enhanced coverage for high school athletics across our state.” Alabama Public TV/AHSAA TV NETWORK 2025 FOOTBALL TELECAST SCHEDULE AHSAA Kickoff Classic – Aug. 21-22 AHSAA TV Network Games of the Week: Aug. 28; Sept. 4, 11, 19, 25; Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 AHSAA Playoff Games of the Week: Nov. 7, 14, 21, 20 AHSAA Super 7 State Championships: Dec. 3, 4, 5 AHSAA North-South All-Star Classic: Friday, Dec. 12 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic: Saturday, Dec. 13
Northeast Alabama Community College pitcher Kayleigh Warnock Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
For the 2025 season, four total helmet posters with the results of the testing are in circulation: one for helmets available for use by players at all positions and three additional posters that reflect helmet performance in testing specific to quarterbacks, offensive linemen and defensive linemen. APT To Expand AHSAA Football Broadcasts
The Boaz Pirates JV softball team recently hosted the Etowah Blue Devils. On this play a Boaz runner slides safely under the Etowah catcher's tag at home plate. Photo By Brandon K. Pierce, The Sports Ledger
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