Jordan's+Annual+Project

The NFL today is known as one of the most violent sports in America. Lots of players get injuries and even end there careers playing football. Sounds harsh right, but how has the NFL worked on making the sport safer specifically focusing on concussions and head injuries ? The NFL has improved helmet technology and its productions, done more medical research on concussions and head injuries, and have fined and even suspended players for helmet to helmet hits.

The NFL's most effective way of making the sport safer is through helmet technology. The [|football helmet] is a protective device primarily used in American and Canadian football, and consists of hard plastic top with thick padding on the inside, a face mask made of one or more rubber coated metal bars and a chinstrap. Helmets are used to protect players even though players can and do suffer from head injuries such as a concussion. In the old days, players wore a regular [|wooden helmet] with no cushioning only protecting their heads and sides, and had a thin strap that easily made the helmet come off which was bad. Over time, the NFL has improved the helmet significantly. One of the recently made helmets is the [|Schutt]media type="youtube" key="V40WPO17Qsg" height="315" width="560" align="left"[|ION 4D helmet], a helmet made to decrease head injuries such as concussions. Some new improvements are more air flow, ventilation holes to allow excessive heat to escape, cushioning that will keep helmet clean, comfortable right out the box, energy wedge that can hold up to 15% more impact, stronger face guards, and more. These new improvements to NFL helmets are expected to limit injuries, but still allow for great performance.

Another way the NFL is trying to make the sport safer is through medical research on concussions and head injuries. In a recent [|NFL press conference], research was said to have been done to limit the number of head injuries players get while playing the sport. They want to keep players safe, but at the same time keep the sport competitive still. According to [|sport science], over 100,000 concussions occur every media type="youtube" key="fFkWTGKNLT8" height="315" width="560" align="right" year, 60% being from head to head collisions. In a head to head collision, a players head feels up to 190 G's of force. A helmet to helmet collision is equivalent to getting smashed in the head with a sledgehammer. The NFL is known as one of the most violent sport in the world. After research on [|concussions], the NFL is now able to know what goes on in a head to head collision. Concussions are caused by impact on the head, resulting in the movement of the brain.

The final way the NFL is trying to make the sport safer is through fines and suspensions of players for helmet to helmet hits. The [|new rule]says harsher fines will be given out and players will be suspended for any tackle above the neck and lead with their helmets. To the NFL board, NFL helmets encourage concussions, and players do not like this new rule. [|Defensive players]have long complained that rules protecting offenses make it difficult to do their jobs. Steelers' James Harrison threatened to take his football and go home/retire after being fined 75,000 for a helmet to helmet hit. " How can I continue to play this game the way that I've been taught to play this game since I was 10 years old" James says. " If they're going to keep making us go more and more and more like a feminine sport, we're going to wear pink every game, not just on breast cancer month" Dolphins Channing Crowder said. " If it's to dangerous, ban the sport and make it illegal" Bears Chris Harris wrote on twitter. " I think we all signed up for the game knowing it was dangerous" Patriots Tom Brady said. "Your helmet is put on for protection, it is not a weapon"[| football analyst] Merrill Hoge said after his career was cut short because of concussions, agrees with the tougher penalties. The N.F.L hope these suspensions and fines will limit the helmet to helmet hits and head injuries. College football player Eric Legrand is paralyzed from the neck down after a kick-off tackle, and the NFL doesn't want none of this to happen anymore.

The NFL is a very hard and violent sport, and sometimes even the best players get hurt and even had career ending injuries. Due to these problems, the NFL is trying to make the sport safer, but at the same time keep the sport competitive and what it's known for, which is one of the most violent sports in the world !