As football season kicks off, a former San Diego Charger is on a mission to protect the next generation of football players from devastating head injuries. Carlos Bradley, who played as a linebacker for the Chargers from 1981 to 1985, is working to improve safety with a specialized helmet cover d esigned to change the game. “The same game that helped so much has also hurt us so much,” Bradley said. “We want to bring student athletes back to the game that we love.” The tool behind Bradley’s mission is called SAFR, a lightweight helmet cover made of polyurethane. The cover attaches directly under the helmet using integrated hooks and functions similarly to a vehicular airbag by absorbing the kinetic energy caused by hard hits. According to Bradley, the design targets the most vulnerable areas of a player’s head. “Most concussions are side and back, 60 to 70 percent is side and back so you want some depth, some protection there,” he explained. The primary goal of the cover is to diminish sub-concussive force, which represents the repetitive, smaller head impacts that build up over a player’s career. For Bradley, the fight against brain injuries is deeply personal. Having suffered multiple concussions during his own five-season career, he is now witnessing the devastating, long-term effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and cognitive decline among his former peers. “I’m here today because of Billy Ray’s death [from] dementia because of CTE,” Bradley shared. He also pointed to Pro Football Hall of Famer Roger Craig’s public battle with dementia as further proof of the crisis. “You see this over and over, and you know it’s because of all the head injuries.” Data supports Bradley’s push for the technology. A 2024 high school study revealed that utilizing the SAFR helmet cover reduced the overall risk of concussions by 48 percent. The protective gear is already gaining momentum. Schools and youth football leagues across the country have adopted the technology, including two local schools right here in San Diego. However, Bradley is not stopping at regional adoption; his goal is to see the protective covers implemented on every single football player nationwide. ...read more read less