Shawn Springs (Photo courtesy of the Lemelson Foundation).
There are two notable inventors from the African American community that created NFL technology. There are likely many Black inventors who went ignored. We can’t quantify that, but we are leaving space for the fact that history often forgets Black community contributions. That being said, we will honor two inventors that are changing many lives within the NFL.
Brandon Martin
Brandon Martin, founder of Reaction Technologies, has created a new invention designed to help protect young people’s noggins. He founded his company in 2018 when he was inspired by the story of a 13-year-old being paralyzed on the football field. We know little about Martin’s story. He is a long-time athlete, but which sports we are not sure of. There is also no work history before he found his own company, according to his LinkedIn.
Martin, along with the help of his co-founder Marcus Graham, worked together with Aspire to create a realistic prototype. It was designed to help students tackle it with their heads up. The “head down” position is attributed to much of the brain trauma that we have seen since the advent of plastic helmets in the 1940s. This tool is designed to train young people to experience less trauma to their growing brains.
In a brochure on the product, we learn how the Heads Up device works. The device is placed on a tackle dummy at an eye level that would require the child to approach it head up as they tackle their ‘opponent.’ The invention displays a number, letter, or symbol. The young person must report back to their coaches and trainers what was present on the device. If they couldn’t see it, that meant their head was too low.
Martin has a unique technique that, if used with consistency over time, could be a tangible tool that trains our young people how to truly tackle without lowering their heads. If football plans on remaining relevant in this scientific age, inventions like this will have to be implemented. Great job, Mr. Martin!
Former NFL’s Shawn Springs
Former cornerback Shawn Springs is NFL royalty. He spent 13 seasons (1997-2009) in the league, and his father, Ron Springs, was a running back in the league for eight seasons (1979-1986). Both gentlemen experienced injuries that made their careers more complicated, despite being record setters in their own right.
Ron Springs had diabetes, leading to the amputation of one foot and the removal of two toes from the other. Shawn nearly quit the league when Ron needed a kidney transplant, but his dad vetoed the plan and got one from a friend instead. A year later, Ron entered a coma after going into cardiac arrest. He was never expected to come out of the coma.Ron’s wife sued the doctors for malpractice in 2008, and Ron passed away from a heart attack in 2011.
Needless to say, Shawn has a focus on his own health. He had his own struggles with his knees and legs in the NFL. It was a serious car accident with his kids in the back seat that really got his mind going about brain trauma and how to minimize the impact of force.
The NFL Invention
Post-retirement, Springs founded the company Windpact, which is selling their Crash Cloud technology. Inspired by the high-tech car seats he purchased for his children post-accident, Shawn felt that if they were using innovative materials in the automobile and aerospace industry, why couldn’t that be brought to the NFL? He realized the same technology was being used to pad his helmet that his father had nearly 20 years prior. With all the talk around CTE, it just didn’t make sense to Shawn Springs.
He knew what the players wanted – nothing too bulky. And he consulted the professionals in other industries to figure out how to create a thin layer that would protect players. Springs describes his technology as an airbag with a mattress or foam inside. The helmet is utilizing materials that will absorb the force and disperse it through the body away from the brain, protecting players from many different levels of contact.
If you think that sounds impressive, you are not alone. In 2024, the Smithsonian had an exhibit on Sports Inventions where the Crash Cloud tech was featured. Springs is proud of being a successful football player and businessman. He wasn’t limited to being an athlete—as his dad reminded him many years ago, he can be so, so much more. Congratulations, Shawn Springs!
In Conclusion
There have been many contributions that African Americans have made in the NFL. We listed some examples of the amazing inventions that Shawn Springs and Brandon Martin have brought to the sport of football in recent years. We will continue to bring the contributions from people of color to the readers of The Forkball. Read more of this author’s other work here.
