High tech changes help keep Anderson County teens safe on football field (WVLT)

Posted Date: 07/25/2024

ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - Anderson County High School is showing off some new gear this season, but these new helmets do more than just look cool.

The helmets include sensors inside in order to detect the impact of hits to the player’s head.

The CDC calculated that in a single season, a player gets hit in the head an average of 592 times, posing risk for concussion. 

While all helmets lower the risk of head injury, the sensors and padding in these specific helmets, the Riddell Axiom Helmets, help coaches and trainers to know the exact spot of impact and the intensity of the hit.

“Back in the day, it was just terrible, people were dying from getting hit too hard,” player Eli Dorton said. “This is probably the safest thing that anybody can wear.”

The coach said there is currently 15 helmets to give to the players who have the most contact, but the school hopes to get more in the future. 

“This helmet fits him perfectly,” Assistant Coach Ryan Moog said. “And it’s only going to fit him perfectly. The cool thing about it is that we can get these rescanned next year and reuse them. So this padding will come out, new padding will go in so a different player can have this helmet.”