Slide 8 of 16

I think the purpose of padding is not well understood. Although padding has a soft component that absorbs energy, the hard component or cover that spreads the force of a collision over a larger area is just as, if not more important. The purpose of a flak jacket on a quarterback, for instance, is to spread the force of a helmet hit over several ribs.

The use, misuse andsafety of the hard cover helmet is still controversial in football. The helmet is obviously still used as a weapon, a weapon that can hurt both the tackler and the ball carrier.