Tackling concussions between the hash marks.

• Author: Arment, Dan
• Position: Athletic Arena - College football safety

THE FIRST TIME I played organized football was in third grade for a "pee wee" team in a small paper mill town in western Massachusetts called Lee. I wore the "Lee Cougars" uniform with tremendous pride and, from the moment I stepped between the hash marks, football entrenched itself within me. It never has relinquished its grasp. Football afforded me the opportunity to receive an outstanding education at Colgate University, the place where I forged enduring friendships with teammates and, more importantly, met my wife. As president of Ridden, I have the unique privilege to support the game that has so significantly shaped me as a person and professional.

Head protection is Riddell's core business. Since 1939, when we introduced the first plastic football helmet, Ridden has been counted on to lead, innovate, and protect. Simply put, football is in our DNA. At this critical juncture, when the future of the game is being called into question, we are driven to lead with innovation and to ensure that we move this great game forward. Innovation fuels change--always.

Sir Isaac Newton first posited that force equals mass times acceleration. Fans of the game at every level see that powerful formula manifest itself time and again--sometimes in jarring fashion. The highlights are sensationalized, whether its elite competition via the mainstream media or youth league contests through the power of the Internet. At no time in football's history have players been bigger, stronger, or faster. Size, speed, and athleticism can be found at all positions on today's rosters. Six-foot-four, 250-pound players blazing 40 yards in 4.5 seconds no longer are an anomaly. The trend shows no signs of slowing.

Players have evolved. Now, so too must the game. Football associations are changing rules, reviewing standards, and funding research to enhance player safety. Football has been down this path before, and our company has been at the forefront of a number of major equipment innovations. The first removable cleat was created by our founder John T. Riddell. Thereafter, Riddell introduced the first: plastic football helmet; facemask; helmet to meet industry performance standards; air-fitted liner system; and helmet designed with patented side impact protection.

There is no question that player safety is critical to the future of football. Concussions drive the debate, and for good reason. There is no simple answer, and there is no concussion-proof helmet--nor is there a...