C.J. Anderson didn’t think twice about the helmet he wore when he first got in the NFL.
As an undrafted rookie with the Denver Broncos in 2013, Anderson picked out the same model that he wore during his college career at Cal.
But when he suffered a concussion in Week 1 of the preseason during his second year, Anderson found himself consulting the NFL’s color scale of helmet testing results as he began an odyssey that led him to the helmet he wears today.
The NFL, in conjunction with the NFL Players Association, ranks approved helmet models based on laboratory research that shows which helmets best reduce “head impact severity.”
The league distributes a chart to players and club medical, training, coaching and equipment staffs that shows top performing helmets in green, other approved helmets in yellow and prohibited helmets in red.
This traffic-light coloring system is at the heart of the Antonio Brown saga that’s made headlines in recent days — Browns’ preferred helmet was put on the prohibited list in 2018, and his grievance to wear the helmet reportedly will be heard Friday — and it’s proven to be a trusty resource for several Lions players who understand Brown’s allegiance to a specific helmet but have had no issues with their own ever-changing headgear.
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“I got the concussion my first preseason game of 2014, my second year, against Seattle,” Anderson said. “I played next week against San Francisco, but I did go through like three helmet tries during practice trying to figure it out cause I didn’t feel comfortable in it. When I felt I was comfortable enough to deal with it and play, obviously I got used to it over time.”
Anderson, who had no idea his original helmet was yellow on the NFL’s scale until after he suffered his concussion, wore his second helmet, a green-coded one, for only one season before he changed again.
When the manufacturer discontinued that particular helmet, Anderson said he went back to his old helmet, but in an updated version, for comfort and reliability sake.
“It’s like shoes,” Anderson said. “You want it comfortable in your head.
“I don’t know what’s going on with the A.B. thing, but obviously if something felt comfortable to him for nine years, in nine years if something felt comfortable, it’s comfortable. It’s like if you’re a large or an XL, you’re not going to wear a medium or a small, or you’re not going to wear a 2X or 3X shirt. You’re going to wear a shirt that fits you and it’s comfortable. It’s kind of like that.”
All six of the Lions surveyed about their helmet habits this week mentioned comfort as one of primary factors in picking their headgear, and five said safety is the other chief concern.
Kicker Matt Prater said he’s more particular about his choice of footwear (soccer cleats instead of football cleats) than helmets, though he was forced to change models a few years ago because his old helmet was outdated.
“It’s whatever they give me. As long as I can see and it’s not too uncomfortable, I’m good,” Prater said. “For me it’s different. I’m not getting hit in the head.”
Running back Zach Zenner, a biology major in college who took the MCAT this offseason and plans to enroll in medical school after his playing career, said he’s fascinated by the research and how the NFL's highest-rated models correlate to fewer concussions.
Both the NFL and NFLPA have biomechanical experts who consult on helmet testing.
“To me it’s like, where does my helmet rank?” Zenner said. “If I’m towards the top, I’m good enough. Cause they keep getting better and better, so if I keep moving down then I’m going to need (a new one).”
Zenner said he switched to a new model two years ago at the encouragement of the Lions’ equipment staff.
“It was offered to me, like, ‘Hey, you want to try out a new helmet? They got this cool, this new model, it’s better,’” Zenner said. “I said sure. I tried it and I liked it. Now, I think there’s a scenario where maybe it wouldn’t have felt comfortable and I would have just tried a different one. But I think to me it’s like, where I would have an issue is if I had to switch now. Like switching in the spring is not a big deal to me, but I think I would be a little bit leery right now or in the middle of the season.”
Some players gravitate to helmets for reasons beyond safety.
Cornerback Justin Coleman said he started wearing a certain helmet, facemask and visor in high school as a way to copy one of his favorite players, Sean Taylor. He said helmets can be “a fashion statement” at times and that “if you play good in a certain helmet, obviously you don’t want to change too much.”
But Coleman said he changed helmet models this year when he learned there were safer versions available in a similar style.
“I just felt like it was a good idea to protect myself,” Coleman said. “If it was going to protect me more and feel the same, why not change?”
That’s the bottom line for tight end Logan Thomas, too.
Thomas estimates he’s worn 15 different helmets in his career, including a new model with the Lions this year. Some have more cushion, some are filled with more air, and finding the right one has been a matter of trial and error.
“We’re a stay-in-the-green type team,” Thomas said. “This is my third one this year and this is the one I ended up liking.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Read more on the Detroit Lions and sign up for our Lions newsletter.
https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/08/21/antonio-brown-helmet-detroit-lions/2069983001/
2019-08-21 16:58:00Z
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