Head injuries in football are one of the single worst things that come with it, likely the very worst. They are tough to avoid when playing the game at full speed, but there are ways to help prevent them.
No one on the Cleveland Browns roster plays the game more violently than linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Owusu-Koramoah led the NFL in tackles for a loss (20) by a linebacker last season for good reason, not many can shoot into the backfield at the rate he can.
In the Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, JOK wore the Guardian Cap over the helmet for the first time. Players wear the caps in practice and they are an extra line of defense for blows to the head.
“It was nice. It was smooth. I didn’t really feel anything on the hits,” JOK explained after the game. “I’m very glad that we had an opportunity to wear those things. It was good wearing it. It felt good.”
Owusu-Koramoah made the decision due to a Week 1 hit that he took. It didn’t leave him with a confusion, but he surely got his bell rung enough to think of going to the Guardian Cap.
“Week 1 I kind of have, like, one hit, and I kind of felt it a little bit. So I’m like, man, let me try this Guardian Cap and see what it’s talking about. But it was good though.”
To start the season, the Notre Dame product is playing well and has six tackles in each of his first two games. Coming off of a Pro Bowl-caliber season, JOK is trying to take it to the next level.
Just last Thursday we watched Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa suffer another tough concussion that left him in the fencing position on the ground that sometimes comes with traumatic brain injuries. That was not the reasoning for the switch that JOK made, but you can bet that it has made players at least think twice about it.
“The NFL does a nice job educating the guys on the Guardian Cap usage and the numbers behind it,” head coach Kevin Stefanski explained. “Then our equipment staff does a great job as well in that area and it’s really up to each player on what they want to do.”
