In my career as an NFL executive and former coach, player safety has always been a big concern. I believe Kato Collar fills a gap in needed concussion prevention.

Our athlete has used the collar every day in padded practice and loves it. He has had neck issues in the past, which is why we wanted to get this collar. It is helping him tremendously: The athlete notices a difference with Kato Collar compared to other collars we have used in the past. Definitely a bonus in our injury prevention.

I suffered from burner/stingers during my career as a player, and I tested out a prototype of Kato Collar at Minnesota State University. I got in my stance with my head up, moved my head around, looked at Jeff and said, ‘You have to get this thing out there. I will never have another burner/stinger.’ I am excited about Kato Collar becoming available to the players I coach to protect against this injury.

As the former Director of Spine Research, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Minnesota, I have studied extensively the biomechanics of devices for the treatment of spine injuries and diseases. When I analyzed the data and high-speed video from impact biomechanics testing, the results were compelling. The unique design of Kato Collar slowed down the velocity of the head after impact in two stages and transfers the G-forces from the helmet to the Collar then on to the shoulder pads. The testing showed up to 30% reduction of forces when the Collar was attached compared to no collar. By decelerating the brain movement within the skull after impact, Kato Collar addresses the key issue of head and neck injury forces thus promoting player safety.

Several of our players wore the collar and liked the fit. Additionally, it did not prohibit movement. I have tried other collars in the market which were not as effective due to the limited mobility, and I’m excited about Kato Collar as I feel my players will be more willing to wear it compared to other collars I have tried.