In 2002, American football equipment manufacturer Riddell released a new design of helmet called the Revolution [1]. The newer design was released in response to a study on concussions. The design is becoming more popular in the NFL and NCAA, being used by notables such as Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, Casey Hampton, and Brady Quinn.
The helmet will sometimes be wrenched from a player's head in the jostling of a play and leave the player vulnerable to injury. Sports Illustrated for January 15, 2007, includes a couple of photos of Jeremy Shockey of the New York Giants, showing a good deal of courage in continuing to push for extra yardage in a playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles, despite having lost his helmet during the play.
In 2007, Schutt Sports announced the arrival of a next generation helmet, the Schutt ION 4D. This next generation design was in response to the demand for a safer football helmet. The design includes an integrated faceguard. This new faceguard design features shock absorbing "Energy Wedges" that reduce the force of impacts to the faceguard. Top College Teams wearing the helmet include Penn State, Air Force Academy, University of Georgia. Many of the New York Giants wear the ION 4D design including Amani Toomer and Brandon Jacobs.
