Why Coaches Choose Guardian Caps
Coaches Choose Guardian Caps
Coaches at every level prioritize player safety, and that’s why so many are turning to Guardian Caps. With a proven track record of reducing impact of hits, these soft-shell helmet covers provide an extra layer of protection during practices and games. Trusted by top programs across the country—from high school to the NFL—Guardian Caps help minimize impacts while keeping athletes on the field.
Find out why more coaches are turning to enhanced safety and performance.
High School Teams Supporting Caps
Hear from a few high schools around the United States who have chosen for their teams to be better protected with Guardian Caps.
Park High School
Park High School Coach Rick Fryklund invested over $11,000 to equip players from sixth grade to varsity with Guardian Caps. He highlighted the importance of safety, remarking, “We’re doing things to keep the game safer for our kids — football needs to do those things.” Players reported minimal impact on performance, with senior defensive lineman David Laturnus noting, “We don’t care what it looks like, we care about being safe.” Park High School was the first high school team in the country to wear Guardian Caps in games.
Burke County High School
Burke County High School Head Coach Franklin Stephens introduced Guardian Caps to all of his players. Stephens emphasized prioritizing player health over aesthetics, stating, “I’m more concerned about trying to keep our guys healthy than I am about those things.”
Gwinnett County Public Schools
In a significant move to enhance student-athlete safety, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) in Georgia became the first district in the state to provide Guardian Caps for all its high school football and flag football players. Jason Holcombe, GCPS Director of Athletics, emphasized “The well-being of our students is our top priority, and by investing in these advanced caps, we are taking an important step in protecting them and ensuring they can continue participating in the sport they love safely.”
Attica Central School District
Attica Central School District purchased 100 Guardian Caps for all junior varsity and varsity football players. Coach Jeff Cusmano viewed the caps as a step toward player safety and believed they might boost participation rates. Senior player Logan Albano appreciated the added protection, stating, “I think it’s a good thing to have, a bit of extra padding just in case.” By proactively equipping athletes with Guardian Caps, Attica Central is setting a standard for player safety and ensuring their athletes can focus on playing the game they love—without unnecessary risks.
College Coaching Staffs Talking About Caps
Hear from a few colleges across the United States that choose to better protect their team with Guardian Caps.
SEC College Coaches
Guardian Caps have been a staple in football practices throughout the Southeastern Conference. During the 2023 season, 14 SEC football head coaches discussed with Vols Wire about their teams wearing Guardian Caps.
“As coaches, your guys work year-round for 12 opportunities to play, and nothing is more disappointing for a coach than to have a young man get injured and be unable to play because you see daily, the effort and work they go through to prepare themselves for those limited opportunities.”
Zach Arnett, Former Head Coach at Mississippi State
“We have been wearing them for a while. Other schools I have been, we wore them at other schools, as well. We are always about player safety and it is another layer of protection for our guys.”
Shane Beamer, Head Coach at South Carolina
“We were one of the first teams in the SEC to really wear those. Obviously, it reduces the impact on the helmet, and it has been a savior for us. It has been a very beneficial thing for our program.”
Eliah Drinkwitz, Head Coach at the Univeristy of Missouri
“I love them. We have done it for a long time and totally believe in them.”
Jimbo Fisher, Head Coach at Texas A&M
“If anything that I think has potential to increase the safety of our players, I’m all in on. If it has the possibility, which I believe they do, to increase the safety of our players, in practice, I’m going to do that every time.”
Hugh Freeze, Head Coach at Auburn University
“The things that happen, in particular over the course of training camp, and the long-term research that’s taken place, a lot of it through the NFL, just repetitive hits and how that affects you long term during your life potentially, we feel like it’s definitely the right thing to do and use to make sure we’re taking care of our players the best way we can.”
Josh Heupel, Head Coach at the University of Tennessee
“The data, in terms of incidents of head injury in practice and in the preseason, was just so compelling that we included them on all of our linemen, linebackers, tight ends, and running backs, and paved to be a very effective tool for us in our practicing.”
Brian Kelly, Head Coach at the University of Louisiana
“We wear them all the time and studies show it helps concussion numbers, obviously as soon as we were told that, we purchased them and use them every day.”
Lane Kiffin, Head Coach at the University of Mississippi
“I know for me personally, I could have benefitted from a Guardian Cap in my day, so it’s been great. It’s a great equipment, great product, and it’s made our players more safe.”
Billy Napier, Head Coach at the University of Florida
Auburn Football
Tyler Renard, Auburn’s Director of Football Equipment Operations, emphasized the university’s commitment to player safety: “Anything that we can do to try to make sure we are protecting them to the best of our ability is something we are going to be interested in and implementing for our players.”
He noted that following head coach Hugh Freeze’s attendance at an SEC coaches conference, Auburn implemented the use of Guardian Caps for specific positions, mirroring NFL practices. Renard also highlighted the importance of proper helmet fitting, mentioning that since 2022, Auburn has utilized 3D head scans to ensure custom fits for each player.
University of British Columbia
Blake Nill, head football coach at UBC, observed a growing interest among players in using Guardian Caps.”We’re finding that more and more of our athletes want that added security. It’s not a mandatory thing, but they are available.” He expressed optimism about the normalization of Guardian Caps, suggesting that as players become more accustomed to them, they could become a standard part of football equipment. Nill also emphasized the coaching staff’s role in modifying practice structures to reduce contact and enhance player safety.
University of Wisconsin – Platteville
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team has become the first in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) to provide Guardian Caps to every player. This initiative reflects the university’s commitment to both player performance and safety. Director of Sports Medicine Michael Martin and Athletic Director Mike Knipe emphasized that the investment is about protecting student-athletes and leading a culture shift in Division III football. Head Coach Ryan Munz echoed their sentiment, stating that even preventing one concussion makes the decision worthwhile. With NFL teams and major college programs already using the caps, UW-Platteville hopes to inspire other schools to adopt similar safety measures.
