Davenport HS Football Taking Steps To Prevent Concussions

The football team at Davenport High School is taking the initiative to prevent concussions. All their helmets are newly dressed with sensors that track how much impact each player takes to the head.

The players have a quarter final playoff game Friday night against Seiling High School. This is the third game where they will be equipped with the device called “Riddell InSite”.

“This all started a few weeks ago. We had a couple of concussions during a ball game,” said Head Couch John Greenfield. He said the school and community rallied behind the idea to protect the students.

The device is a helmet-based impact monitoring system. It records each hit with sensors lined across the helmet. It even tells the coaches where the player was hit. Staff on the sidelines will know immediately if they need to pull a player out of practice or games.

“If you get an impact over what is regulated by the monitoring system, an alarm will go off,” said Coach Greenfield.

Senior tight end Cade Harelson likes the idea of these sensors. He only has a few games left with Davenport High School before he graduates, but he wants his teammates and future players to be safe.

“You go out not thinking about hurting yourself, but injuries do happen,” said Harelson.

Davenport High School is the first team in the state of Oklahoma to use these sensors.

Coach Greenfield said, “We need to step out in front and be a leader in this situation.”