The NFL Should Study the Rams

I was watching a National Geographic special on mountains and they showed some Rocky Mountain rams head-butting. My immediate thought was that the NFL should study how these rams can get up to speeds of 20 MPH prior to collision and basically do this all day without any apparent brain damage. The rams have a second layer of skull to help absorb the impact - but in essence isn't a football helmet just another layer of skull too? (That I'm thinking of the NFL in June also tells you about my hopes for a long successful Red Sox season.)

I mentioned this thought on Twitter (@ALargeRegular if you haven't followed me yet) and Chris Lindsay (@ChrisLindsay9) was nice enough to reply that a study had been done on woodpeckers.

The key finding from that study seems to be that woodpeckers keep their "pecking" to straight linear strikes whereas football head injuries aren't just linear but also the result of too much torque where the head rotates or twists. Getting back to the rams - their head-butting is pretty much linear as well. So maybe the key is getting rid of the torque?

This got me thinking that the future of the NFL may involve helmets like the one worn by the comic book villain (is he really a villain - because I always liked him) Juggernaut. He was impervious when wearing his helmet.

Or along the same idea - the new NFL helmet may make players look like the Sontaran warriors from Doctor Who.

This really could be the future look of the NFL.