Lipscomb Academy first high school in Tennessee to use VICIS ZERO1 helmets on every football player
Nashville’s Lipscomb Academy and new head coach Trent Dilfer, former NFL quarterback and ESPN broadcaster, is taking player protection to a new level by becoming the first high school in Tennessee to fully equip their football program with the VICIS ZERO1 helmet, which last month ranked first for the third consecutive year in the National Football League (NFL) and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) annual Helmet Laboratory Testing Performance Results.
The NFL and NFLPA's annual testing assesses the performance of all helmets in use in the NFL to determine their ability to best reduce the severity of head impacts, empowering professional athletes to make more informed decisions about their protective equipment. The ZERO1 outperformed 33 other helmets tested for its ability to reduce head impact severity in laboratory testing. The ZERO1 is also a top-rated in VIRGINIA TECH® HELMET RATINGS™ for collegiate and high school play.
Dilfer believes strongly in the need to equip players with the best equipment, with he and his wife, Cassandra, personally investing to cover the cost of the helmets for the program as well as a sizable gift to academic services for all student athletes. The players will begin wearing the ZERO1 in the upcoming season which begins in August.
“The most talked about topic in regards to the game of football these days is the protection of our players,” says Dilfer, who led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl championship in 2000. “For the younger athlete, protection is the most important piece of the game in order to ensure the longevity of the game. The reason we chose VICIS is because of the scientific data that backs up the numbers claiming that it is the safest helmet for football. I've played the game of football for a long time, and I want to ensure that player protection is our top priority. Our players will be wearing the safest helmets in America, which gives the student athletes and their parents an extra level of comfort knowing that they are being protected by the best equipment available."
Originally introduced to NFL and NCAA teams in 2017, the ZERO1 has been adopted by more than 1,200 high school programs and 150 professional and college teams across the country.
The number one ranking comes on the heels of VICIS' ZERO1 YOUTH topping all helmets in Virginia Tech's inaugural youth football helmet ratings.
"Lipscomb Academy has shown great leadership through its commitment to player protection," said Dave Marver, VICIS CEO and co-founder. "We are proud to help Coach Dilfer and the Lipscomb football program protect their athletes."
The ZERO1 is the most technologically advanced helmet on the market, designed to reduce impact forces with a highly engineered structure that differs from traditional football helmets. The ZERO1 has a deformable outer shell and a unique RFLX layer designed to slow impact forces like a car bumper while enhancing player performance.
A former Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Dilfer was a lead analyst for a variety of ESPN programs. The 14-year NFL veteran joined ESPN in July 2008, the same day he announced his retirement from the National Football League. Dilfer played for five teams during his career, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1994-99), Baltimore Ravens (2000), Seattle Seahawks (2001-04), Cleveland Browns (2005) and San Francisco 49ers (2006-2007). Dilfer led the Ravens to a 34-7 victory over the Giants in Super Bowl XXXV. The 1997 Pro Bowl selection finished his career with 20,518 passing yards. Dilfer was the sixth overall pick by the Buccaneers in the 1994 NFL Draft out of Fresno State University.
Founded in 2013, VICIS' mission is to minimize the impact of sports-related head injuries. Since its launch in 2017, the ZERO1 football helmet has consistently ranked first in NFL/NFLPA Helmet Performance testing and was named one of TIME Magazine's 25 Best Inventions. VICIS' recently launched ZERO1 YOUTH helmet is the first football helmet specifically optimized for kids and is the best testing football helmet in the VIRGINIA TECH® YOUTH HELMET RATINGS™. Named one of Fast Company's 2018 Most Innovative Companies, VICIS is funded and advised by current and former professional athletes such as Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Jerry Rice, and Roger Staubach, as well as experts in neurosurgery, sports and pediatric medicine. For more information, visit VICIS website.