NFL Names '1st and Future' Safety Innovation Winners
By Herbie Teope
Originally published on nfl.com
ATLANTA -- The NFL's path to improve player safety continued Saturday morning at the fourth annual "1st and Future" experience at the Ferst Center for the Arts at the Georgia Tech campus.
In this year's event, the NFL teamed with Arrow Electronics to host a live competition between five companies pitching innovative products and concepts aimed to enhance player health and safety. Additionally, four individuals were provided an opportunity to propose rule changes geared to reduce injuries on punt plays based on data.
Player safety awareness, especially concussions, has been a driving theme for the NFL in recent years, and points of emphasis on rules or modifications take place virtually every season. The culture change has resulted in a decrease in concussions, and Commissioner Roger Goodell lauded the progress of players safety initiatives during a panel discussion following the presentations.
