Investigation: How Safe Is Your Helmet?

A recent study by Virginia Tech and Wake Forest has led WKYC to investigate local high school football helmets.

Researchers put 18 popular helmet models to the test, comparing them to see if some would perform better when it comes to protecting athletes.

The helmets were dropped more than 100 times while researchers collected data to see if some could potentially decrease the likelihood of a brain injury or concussion.

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They found surprising details that led them to develop a five-star rating system.

Few states have deeper high school football traditions than Ohio.

In just a few months, thousands of local players will be back on the field training for a new season.

It’s an exciting sport to watch, but there is no denying the risk of head injury in football is high — especially for our young players.

When they are hit in the head, their only defense is the helmet they wear.

The results are surprising.

Virginia Tech University is home to the world’s largest injury biomechanics group.

They research everything from automobiles to the military, and, for the last 10 years, football helmets.

“The number of head impacts in football dwarfs any other sport. And that’s where we really need to look at the equipment and the rules. You have a lot more head impacts,” said Dr. Stefan Duma.

Duma and his team of biomechanical engineers have been looking at what helmets offer better protection against concussion.

First they put sensors in football helmets to record how many times a player is hit, in what direction and the magnitude.

Then, using that information, they created a drop test to use on adult helmets most commonly used by high school football teams.

Each model gets tested 120 times, at different heights and different directions.

The amount of impact absorbed by the helmet is then measured and a star rating from one to five was assigned.

One star is rated marginal. Five star is the best helmet available.

Duma says the findings show a dramatic difference between how much different models cushion the impact.

“For one drop test, I can take a one-star helmet, and I will get 150 g’s, replace it with a 5 star helmet, and I can cut that in half and get 75 g’s. Our fundamental point is that there is a huge difference between 150 g’s and 75 g’s,” said Duma.

Duma says based on what helmet you use, you can reduce your risk of concussion by more than 50 percent. That’s what they’ve been using to compile a five-star rating system.

“There was no way for consumers to get any idea what helmet was better. It was purely what it looks like, the cost, what the sales rep tells me, so we were the first group to present biomechanical data, and I would absolutely encourage people to use it,” said Duma.

Duma and his team tested 18 helmets. One helmet performed so poorly it received no star at all.

After learning about the five-star system, WKYC wanted to see how our high schools measure up to it. We sent public records requests to more than 230 schools in Ohio. We asked for records verifying which makes and models of helmets they are using. What we found is that many of of the schools in our area are using four- and five-star helmets. But we also found a significant number are using one- and two-star helmets.

And that’s concerning to Duma. “I think the excuse you are going to get is cost, and I get that question a lot. We can’t afford to do this. My simple answer is ‘If you can’t afford to have better equipment, you probably can’t afford to be playing the sport,’ ” said Duma. All Ohio high school football players must wear helmets that are NOCSAE approved. NOCSAE is the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment. And all the helmets tested are those approved by NOCSAE. But the folks at Virginia Tech say these helmets are not created equal, and they want coaches, parents and players to be aware of it. How do we prevent concussions on the football field? Unfortunately there is no answer to that question right now, and no football helmet that is concussion proof, but what if wearing a certain kind of helmet could reduce the risk of concussion? One study says it can. INTERACTIVE: Helmet use by rating High school football players can get hit hundreds of times a season, but no amount of training or conditioning can toughen up their brains. “I do remember getting hit in the head,” said Brandon Byrd, a Solon football player. Byrd played quarterback and safety for the Comets. He plans to play for Kenyon College next fall. Byrd’s concussion came his junior year after taking a defender’s knee to the head. Byrd recalls, “Instantly, my head started ringing really badly.”

Former Cleveland Brown Josh Cribbs knows a thing a two about concussions. He sat down with us to talk openly about the concussions he’s suffered during his career, and what he sees as the biggest problem when it comes to football helmets. In 2012, Cribbs was knocked unconscious during a game against the Baltimore Ravens. “For me, getting hit like that was an eye opener. My parents didn’t want me to play anymore. My wife was in tears. It struck me. I’m like ‘Wow. The sport I love could actually take my life.’ It has the ability to take my life away,” Cribbs said. We wanted his opinion on our investigation. We showed him the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Helmet Rating System. “I’m surprised. Wow! I wore a Riddell helmet all the way up from rec. ball to the NFL. Wow, I should have worn a better helmet. I might have some brain cells left in my head,” Cribbs said while looking at the rating system. The helmet Cribbs referred to is the Riddell VSR4. It received a low 1-star rating and Riddell itself urged players to stop wearing it in 2011. The company even offers a trade-in program for the VSR4 to move players into newer models. But the VSR4 is still in use on some high school football fields. Our investigation found 20 area schools still using the VSR4. Cribbs hopes our investigation opens the eyes of athletic directors and parents. “Personally, looking at the high school level, you want kids protected. You know, with them being under-skilled and how to properly tackle, they need assistance. And the way they can get that assistance is through wearing better helmets,” Cribbs explained.

He also said funding can’t be an issue because some of the lower rated helmets are actually more expensive than the higher rated ones. “Going through the sport myself I would want my son protected. Any father, any parent would want their children protected to the max. I would tell them directly, ‘Do you care about your athletes? Do you care about the safety of your athletes? If the answer is yes, why are they in 1 and 2 star helmets instead of a 4 star or 5 star?’ I want to see the effort made. I want it not to be about a financial thing. I want it to be a mandatory,” Cribbs demanded. Cribbs told us he now wears a 5-star rated helmet. Given his previous concussions, he believes the one he has chosen gives him the best chance at avoiding a concussion in the future. However Cribbs is also quick to point out that no helmet can prevent all concussions. The Kent State graduate signed with the Jets in October of last year. He and his family still have a home in the Cleveland-area.

Schools are already taking action after a WKYC investigation which looked into concussion risk ratings for football helmets used by schools throughout Northeast Ohio. We contacted schools that reported using the Schutt Air Advantage and Riddell VSR4, which rated 2 and 1 stars respectively on the Virginia Tech Wake Forest impact test. We also contacted the 2 schools which have reported using the Adams A2000 Pro Elite.

This helmet rated so poorly on the tests that it is “not recommended” for use on the football field. The Adams A2000 was also the only football helmet to receive “0” stars. Its manufacturer Adams USA no longer manufactures football helmets after selling off that portion of its business to Schutt Sports in 2011. Riddell also no longer manufacturers the VSR4, and has established a trade-in program for the helmet. Click HERE for more information. A number of the schools said they will stop using the lower rated helmets immediately. Others said they will begin phasing them out.

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