Currently, there are three major players in the football helmet marketplace: Schutt, Riddell, and Adams. Schutt and Riddell together account for over 90% of helmet sales in the U.S. So, is there room for another major brand to compete? Rawlings seems to think so.
Rawlings’ introduction of its new NRG football helmet this fall indicates a real commitment to football by a company that is best known for its baseball equipment tradition.

“NRG” (Neuro Responsive Gear) will be the flagship brand name for the Rawlings helmet line, which will include the NRG Quantum for elite-level competition and the NRG Momentum for youth players. Rawlings has already made headway into football with shoulder pads and its popular Zoombang protective gear. See Rawlings’ full line of protective equipment and a sneak peak of the NRG helmet here.

“Best-in-class head protection is a signature attribute of the Rawlings brand, and that core value is at the heart our new Rawlings NRG football helmet line,” Rawlings president Robert Parish said.
The concept of providing a football program with everything from uniforms to protective gear to helmets and shoulder pads is impressive, to say the least. It’s a complete package and it appears Rawlings is poised to make some noise in the industry. It will be interesting to see if Rawlings can emerge as real contender in the football helmet market over the next few years.

The NRG football helmet is being seeded this fall ahead of a nationwide launch in 2011.