NFL vet uses martial arts skills to make football safer

Prevention, diagnosis, treatment – the three primary areas we’re advancing in answer to the concussion problem. But that model of concussion research is not a triangle; it’s a timeline. If the first step in the process succeeds, then the second and third become unnecessary. Prevention is always the best outcome.

 

That is the idea upon which former NFL offensive lineman Scott Peters has built his current career. He teaches football players to incorporate jiujitsu principles into their game, giving them more power when they hit and, more importantly, taking their heads out of the equation entirely.

 

 

He realized the potential in the idea when, after his one season as the University of Washington football team’s strength and conditioning coach, his methods led to both the best rushing season in the school’s history and also absolutely no concussions in anyone on the roster.

 

Now he trains teams on every level in Safe Football, his program for better and safer play using hands, not heads, to hit. Changing players’ style of play has been and will continue to be an uphill battle. In the past, players have felt as though they had to choose: protecting their heads or playing to their fullest abilities. And players who have been playing for years already have bad habits ingrained in them.

 

A system that improves both head safety and effectiveness on the field could be a literal game-changer if coaches and players embrace it. Even if some have to relearn skills that have been ingrained in them for most of their lives, the benefits to be reaped are worth the work.

 

*Scientists have no conclusive evidence as to whether or how the reduction of g-forces during impacts reduces the number or degree of concussions and head injuries. GelDefender products provide supplemental padding as well as cooling and comfort benefits when used with helmets and caps. Participants in activities in which head impacts can occur should always use tested and approved helmets for protection. However, no helmet or supplemental padding can protect the user from all serious head or neck injuries that can result from impacts.

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