Funny thing. The very helmets that were developed to protect from brain damage may be the very instrument of brain damage I this current era.
Some data suggests that helmeted NFL players are about 25% more likely to sustain a head injury than Australian-rules footballers, who wear no body armor. An Australian researcher noted that “there may be a greater prevalence of head injuries in the American game because the players hit each other with forces up to 100% greater. ‘If they didn’t have helmets on, they wouldn’t do that,’ he says.”
The NFL has no plans to eliminate headgear, however. Instead, the league is focusing on improvements to helmet technology and certain safety related rules changes.
“Some data suggests that helmeted NFL players are about 25% more likely to sustain a head injury than Australian-rules footballers, who wear no body armor. An Australian researcher noted that “there may be a greater prevalence of head injuries in the American game because the players hit each other with forces up to 100% greater. ‘If they didn’t have helmets on, they wouldn’t do that,’ he says.”
Back to leather helmets. Try using those for missiles.