Founder and CEO of Guardian Sports, Erin Hanson, joins Cheddar to discuss Guardian Caps worn in the NFL. Watch!
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00:00Concussions, sadly, are back in the NFL spotlight, as many are calling for Dolphins star quarterback
00:07Tua Tagovailoa to retire after suffering his fourth concussion in five years Thursday night
00:13against the Bills.
00:15Many in the NFL are turning to Guardian caps to protect their precious cargo, even wearing
00:22them in NFL games for the first time.
00:26I'm excited to talk about this with the co-founder and CEO of Guardian Sports, Erin Hanson, joining
00:31us now from Atlanta.
00:32Erin, thanks so much.
00:34When I say, sadly, concussions are back in the spotlight, I guess I can't help but ask,
00:41were they fading from attention or was there progress made on solving and preventing concussions?
00:49I think there's definitely been progress made.
00:51I think technique changes.
00:52I think that rule changes, equipment innovation, I think they all play a part.
00:58I think that the NFL has been a leader in player safety in the last years for sure with
01:06their testing and with the way that they monitor practices.
01:10They film every play, every hit, and then they evaluate each one of those from multiple
01:16angles.
01:17So they're definitely investing in player safety, and it shows.
01:21Yeah, the terrific observation just watching games is the evaluation of what could make
01:28for a potential concussion in players that oftentimes want to go back in, but not are
01:32allowed to.
01:33That tells you we've made progress.
01:35So for those, Erin, that have not seen the Guardian caps, either on their TVs this season
01:39or in prior years, or on the youth football sidelines, tell us what they are and how they
01:46work.
01:47Well, they're usually called mushroom caps or bubble wrap or something like that.
01:53It's literally just a soft, padded cover that floats on top of the helmet.
01:58The thing's light.
01:59It's less than half of a pound, and it floats on top.
02:03The way that that helps is the padding itself helps with linear impacts and reducing some
02:10of that linear force.
02:12Obviously, hands coming down a quarterback, throwing the ball, fingers getting cut in
02:16between two hard shell helmets.
02:18So that helps with the linear forces.
02:21And then because it only attaches around the face mask to itself with these elastic straps,
02:27there's rotational redirection of forces.
02:30And so that's our cap that's used.
02:33It's a one size fits all.
02:35And then for the NFL, it's slightly beefed up.
02:37So we have an extra layer on the inside.
02:39So this is about 12 ounces.
02:41So it's still very lightweight.
02:44It also insulates the helmet, believe it or not.
02:47So the polycarbonate shell conducts heat, and this insulates the helmet.
02:51So it keeps the head underneath the helmet about 20 degrees cooler.
02:57So what led you down this path to create the Guardian Cap?
03:01Why?
03:02We have a material science business, so it's not too far out of the norm.
03:07We've had that Hanson Group for about 30 years.
03:11We were working on a coating for a hard shell helmet to flex the exterior,
03:17kind of the precursor to the Vysis.
03:19And when that wasn't going anywhere in 2010,
03:23and coincidentally, our son was starting to play at the same time,
03:27after raising four daughters, we had a son who was now interested in football.
03:31And so we said, you know what?
03:33We know that soft shell technology is valid.
03:38And how can we retrofit every helmet out there?
03:40How can we give coaches, players, parents the option of a soft shell
03:46going on top of any football helmet affordably,
03:49and reducing the impact of all of those hits?
03:55And how much do they reduce the impact?
03:58What does the data show?
04:00The data is showing, it depends on the speed of the head.
04:03We've got lab testing that shows up to a 30% reduction in impact.
04:09The NFL speeds are showing up to 10% reduction of impact with one cap,
04:15and if two players are wearing it, up to 20%.
04:18So that's appreciable.
04:18I mean, that's no small number.
04:22And we're certainly not there yet,
04:24but how much theoretically could they prevent CTE?
04:30Boy, that's a million dollar question.
04:32I know the NFL, we talk about reducing the impact,
04:36and scientists are still not 100% on how that correlates
04:41to the reduction of brain injury.
04:43But I will tell you that the NFL mandated them in 2022,
04:47expanded it in 2023,
04:50and they've expanded their mandate in all contact practices now
04:53where it's every player except quarterbacks, punters, and kickers.
04:57And what they saw compared to a previous three-year average
05:00was a more than 50% drop in concussions.
05:05It's really remarkable.
05:06And to see them in NFL games for the first time this season
05:10has been remarkable for the millions upon millions at home.
05:14At least six players have worn them,
05:16including the Patriots safety Jabril Peppers
05:19and Colts tight end Kylan Grayson.
05:22As someone who wants to have kids someday,
05:23I want them to also know that,
05:25hey, dad isn't just telling you to be safe.
05:27He also was safe when he played.
05:29Like, he did everything that he could to protect his head,
05:32to protect his brain, to protect his long-term health.
05:35I want to inspire kids to think that health and safety is also cool.
05:39I'm going to get married this coming year.
05:41I want to be able to remember our first dance 30 years from now.
05:43I want to be able to remember my first kid's steps.
05:46I want to be able to be there at their first day of school.
05:49Anything I can do to mitigate that.
05:51Anything I can do.
05:52Football's a game. I love it.
05:54I love it with all of my heart.
05:56But it's not worth putting my life,
05:58putting my family's life at risk.
06:01It's bigger than me.
06:03It's bigger than just looking cool.
06:05And if I can do the same things on the field
06:08and be safe at the same time,
06:09why would I not want that?
06:10He spoke eloquently about why he wants to wear it,
06:14to be around, to be a husband and a father.
06:17Truly remarkable stuff.
06:19What does it mean to you to see them in games,
06:22on the field this NFL season?
06:25You know, honestly shocked, grateful.
06:29We started out, you know, our sole focus when we started
06:33was just that young developing brain.
06:35So we thought, you know what,
06:36there's no way older players are going to wear this.
06:39It's just too out of the norm.
06:42And so we thought maybe we'll have luck
06:43with the younger players,
06:45but the reality is those things filter down.
06:48So when a player like Kyle Granson
06:49is willing to use his platform
06:52to talk about player safety
06:54and what he's willing to do
06:56and sacrifice quite honestly, you know,
06:58some of the swag factor for safety,
07:01it really filters down to those younger groups.
07:03So eternally grateful to players like him
07:05for being a leader.
07:09How is it different for the players on the field?
07:12Whether it's youth, college, high school, or pros,
07:16what do they say about how it's different
07:18when you're actually playing the game?
07:22Not hearing that loud crack
07:23of two helmets coming together.
07:26The noise and the vibrational frequencies are real.
07:29I mean, it's a loud pop.
07:31And so we hear a lot of anecdotally players will tell us,
07:34you know, I didn't hear that loud crack anymore.
07:36I felt better after practice.
07:37I wasn't fuzzy.
07:39I didn't have a headache.
07:40You know, those are the things
07:40that we can't prove in a lab.
07:44So that's just player feedback that we get.
07:46So we're always excited to hear, you know,
07:48the players willing to speak out
07:50about how they felt differently after practice.
07:54We hear from coaches, you know,
07:55I had a full roster for game day.
07:57I didn't have as many guys, you know,
07:59sitting out during the weekend practice,
08:00that kind of thing.
08:03Yeah, Granson said basically the difference
08:04is not looking quite as cool.
08:06Do you know how many kids across the country
08:09are wearing them?
08:11We have about 500,000 out there right now.
08:13So we have all 32 NFL teams are mandated,
08:17CFL mandates for all of their teams,
08:20500 colleges, all of the top 25 power four teams
08:23are wearing them,
08:25probably about 5,000 high school programs.
08:28And I don't know how many of these programs.
08:31So a lot.
08:33I mean, this is-
08:33That's pretty astounding progress.
08:35Yeah, I think people think of it as, you know,
08:37kind of a who's guardian and we've not heard of it before,
08:40but for us, this has been really a 14 year mission
08:44to help players.
08:45I mean, we, I certainly did not have the plan
08:49at the age of 45 to launch a business,
08:51something I never set out to do,
08:53but it was something that we felt a responsibility
08:56to do something if we had the ability to.
08:58So it has, it's made a real difference.
09:00It's been a pretty exciting ride.
09:04No question about that.
09:05Should they be mandated at the youth level?
09:10I would love to see them.
09:12You know, I'd love to see more adoption.
09:14I, you know, I don't know if we'll get
09:17to the point of mandates,
09:19but you know, who knows?
09:20I know that West Virginia's talking about, you know,
09:23about putting a bill before the legislature
09:28to see if they can mandate for high schools and youth.
09:32I certainly think that it reduces the impact
09:35of all of those hits over a season and over a career.
09:39And, you know, I know some of these guys
09:41want to make it to the next level.
09:42They want to make it to D1.
09:44They want to make it to the NFL,
09:45but even for the guys who are just not going to make it
09:48to that level, if it really cuts down
09:50on those impacts over time,
09:52that impacts their long-term health,
09:55I think it's worth it.
09:58And I know this is a very difficult,
10:00if not impossible question to answer,
10:02but as I mentioned, coming full circle
10:04to Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins quarterback,
10:06repeatedly has been concussed.
10:08So many hoping, begging, pleading for him to retire.
10:13In your estimation, in your non-expert opinion,
10:16might things have played out differently for Tua
10:19if he was wearing a Guardian cap?
10:22I just don't know.
10:23I mean, the science is not there.
10:24You know, concussion is such an individualized thing,
10:28you know, depending on neck strength and hydration levels
10:33and genetic makeup and bone structure.
10:36I mean, there's just too many variables.
10:38I definitely think reducing impact helps
10:43and certainly does no harm.
10:45So I don't know how that plays out.
10:47I mean, we know that we can't prevent
10:50all injuries from happening.
10:51You can have a Guardian cap on your helmet
10:53and hit face mask to face mask and be injured.
10:56So it's certainly not a magic pill, that's for sure.
11:01But I definitely think that if there's steps
11:04toward better safety,
11:05that we should certainly give that a shot.
11:09I think we can agree on that.
11:10And finally, Erin, if parents are out there watching,
11:13thinking, oh my gosh, I would love for my kids
11:15to be wearing these, whether it's in games or practice,
11:18where can they go for more information?
11:20Right, guardiansports.com.
11:22And if it's a bulk team purchase,
11:24we try to drop that price as much as we can
11:26to make it affordable.
11:27You know, a youth league should last five years.
11:29They shouldn't be paying more than 10 bucks a year
11:31for better safety.
11:34Oh, that's terrific.
11:34The co-founder and the CEO of Guardian Sports,
11:38terrific having you on.
11:39Wonderful to see this progress in the NFL,
11:43certainly only going to grow from here.
11:44Thanks so much.
11:45Thanks Dave, take care.