ASU football teams up with Riddell for concussion research

PHOENIX — The Arizona State University Sun Devils will be a big part of concussion treatment and research for the second year in a row.

Riddell leads the forefront in football helmet technology and innovation, while the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is at the top of its game in genomics research, a field of molecular biology.

All three organizations have united in a “joint research project [that] will combine molecular information and head impact data from Sun Devil football student-athletes…using Riddell’s Sideline Response System (SRS),” according to a press release.

The system obtains real-time head impact data, which will then be interpreted by researchers to determine the frequency and severity of head impacts, coupled with the genetic information of each player.

“Player protection has become an essential part of football, and this cutting-edge partnership sets ASU apart from not only the rest of the conference, but every collegiate football program in the nation,” ASU Head Coach Todd Graham said. “We are not only looking out for our student-athletes while they are enrolled at ASU, but for the rest of their lives. You become a part of the brotherhood once you put on the maroon and gold, and that doesn’t end at graduation.”

The information obtained from the athletes will also help Riddell and TGen develop and refine football helmets.