Broncos launch first-in-NFL program to equip Colorado's high school football programs with helmets

LONE TREE, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos are giving more than 15,000 helmets to high school football programs in Colorado, a first-in-the-NFL initiative intended to improve the game and make it safer for prep athletes.

The team's foundation has partnered with Riddell and the Colorado High School Activities Association to launch the initiative dubbed “All In, All Covered.” The participants expect to provide 15,516 Riddell Axiom smart helmets to all of the state's 277 high schools with tackle football programs over a four-year span.

The idea for the program came about at a foundation board meeting in August, when Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner and other board members sought ways to reduce barriers to participation in football, including costs and safety concerns.

“Aligned with our foundation values of equity and innovation, this first-of-its-kind initiative will positively influence how schools and governing bodies prioritize student-athlete health and safety,” said team owner and foundation board chair Carrie Walton Penner.

The Broncos called it the largest philanthropic investment in the club's 65-year history. Although the team didn't reveal any figures, the smart helmets typically cost more than $800 each, so the total retail cost of the 15,516 helmets would be more than $12 million, not including maintenance and ongoing analytics that will be provided all schools.

“After helping Colorado sanction girls high school flag football in 2024, we view this legacy initiative as an opportunity to further invest in future generations by creating equitable access to the sport," team and foundation board president Damani Leech said Thursday.

The Broncos said the Riddell Axiom helmet, which is used by several of their players, was selected for the program because of its safety and performance. It features 3D imaging of each athlete's head for a personalized fit and a protection system to improve impact response. The helmets also include technology for impact sensing and reporting.

The Broncos foundation will provide each school with a four-year subscription to an analytics and sideline device to monitor and analyze impact history, which will help coaches identify and address flaws in technique to reduce head injuries and optimize performance.

Allie Engelken, vice president of community impact and the executive director of the Broncos Foundation, said the 3D imaging scans allows for the helmets to be refitted as part of the standard reconditioning process.

“So, if you take into account that the average lifespan of a helmet is about eight to 10 years with 15,516 helmets ... we could be seeing between 75,000 and 155,000 kids wearing these helmets over the next 13 years,” she said.

The helmets will be delivered to the schools beginning in May, along with starter kits and maintenance tools.

“I feel like a collective ‘wow’ would be in order,” CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger said. “It is a little bit hard to wrap your mind around an initiative that will have the kind of impact that this one will have.”

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