One of the NFL’s stated goals is to grow the game of football. Consider that mission accomplished for the Denver Broncos after the team undertook a one-of-a-kind initiative.
On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Broncos announced a program that will see more than 15,000 state-of-the-art football helmets distributed to every high school in Colorado. The program, dubbed All In, All Covered, will run for the next four years, during which time Riddell Axiom helmets will be sent to all 277 schools in the state, regardless of enrollment size or the class of football they play.
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The Axiom helmets will be custom fitted to each player and can be adjusted over time, as students grow up or the helmets are passed down year after year. Each helmet also comes with “contact” technology that uses analytics to help coaches teach proper tackling techniques. Colorado High School Activities Association Commissioner Mike Krueger says his members are blown away by the Broncos’ generosity.
“School budgets are tight,” Krueger said. “This is really going to have a significant impact, and that impact is going to go beyond football programs because where those funds would have went to helmets, now you can share that money, you know, across multiple programs.”
The program was devised during a meeting in August, when Broncos owner Greg Penner and other board members brainstormed ways to reduce the barriers to playing football, including concerns about cost and safety. The “smart helmets” typically run between $600 and $800.
Allie Engelken, the executive director of the Broncos Foundation, estimates between 75,000 and 155,000 players could wear the helmets over the next 13 years.
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“Every single six-man school will receive 22 helmets, all the way up to every 5A school will receive 100 helmets,” Engelken said. “Part of the first initial wave of the donation will also include helmet starter kits, and so that includes a lot of basic maintenance tools that schools don’t have because they don’t have these in their inventory already.”
One of the NFL’s stated goals is to grow the game of football. The Denver Broncos move to the front of the class in that respect, with their latest one-of-a-kind initiative.
Tuesday, the team announced a program that will distribute more than 15,000 state of the art football helmets to every high school in Colorado.
A video narrated by NFL legend and former Bronco Peyton Manning illustrates ‘All In, All Covered’ the program that will run for the next four years and distribute Riddell Axiom helmets to all 277 schools regardless of enrollment size or the class of football they play.
“together we are focused on making a positive impact on youth for seasons to come .”
And impact is what this program is all about. The Axiom helmets will be custom fitted to each player and can be adjusted over time as players grow or the helmets are passed down. Each helmet also comes with technology that uses analytics to help coaches teach proper tackling techniques.
Colorado High School Activities commissioner Mike Krueger says his members are blown away by the Broncos generosity.
“this is really going to have a significant impact and that impact is going to go beyond uh football programs because uh where those funds would have went to helmets now you can share you know across multiple uh programs”
These “Smart Helmets” can typically cost between $6-800 and Broncos estimate between 75 and 155,000 thousand players could wear them over the next 13 years.
“every single six-man school will receive 22 helmets all the way up to every 5A school will receive 100 helmets part of the first initial wave of the donation will also include helmet starter kits and so that includes a lot of basic maintenance tools that schools don’t have because they don’t have these in their inventory already.”
The idea for the program came about at a meeting in August, when Broncos owner Greg Penner and other board members brainstormed ways to reduce the barriers to playing football, including concerns about cost and safety. Mission accomplished.
For Straight Arrow News, I’m Chris Francis.
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