This four-part series examines the NFL’s $60 million investment in the Engineering Roadmap to develop research and technology to make football safer. Part one discusses the data behind the controversial helmet rule. Part two outlines the engineering work supporting the roadmap. Part three discusses the crowdsourcing of innovative solutions. Part four looks at the future of the program and a new data collection device.
For most of wide receiver Nate Burleson’s 11-year NFL career, the onset of training camp resembled the first day of school. Players gathered in the equipment room and surveyed the available gear, clutching helmets and seeking peer affirmation.