Concussions and head-related trauma have become a major concern for football players, from the National Football League to pee-wee games.
Earlier this fall, Pittsburgh-based company 2nd Skull received a $100,000 grant from the NFL to improve a product that could help combat the issue.
The company manufactures a thin skullcap that is meant to be worn under the helmet. It’s made of a lightweight material called PORON XRD.
“It’s flexible, soft and breathable at rest, but upon impact, it immediately hardens and absorbs the impact. Then it goes back to being soft and malleable again,” said 2nd Skull CEO Vaughan Blaxter.
The skullcap helps lessen the blow of direct impacts to the head. It also weakens hits that twist a player’s head and neck: before the helmet can start taking the player’s head with it, it slides across the surface of the skullcap, absorbing an extra chunk of energy.
Blaxter said the skullcap can’t prevent every possible concussion. But, he pointed out, seatbelts can't prevent every injury from a car accident, and yet wearing them is the law in most states.
“When I was young, nobody wore seatbelts. Now, everybody wears them,” said Blaxter.
The grant money from the NFL will help pay for experimentation with potential improvements, including increased breathability. The product will also be put through testing by the NFL.
Blaxter said he would like to increase the product’s usage among youth athletes, both in football and in other sports, such as hockey and lacrosse. The company also manufactures a headband from the same material, meant for non-helmet sports such as soccer.
