WASHINGTON: Coach Chuck Goldstein frequently finds himself vigorously trying to get his players’ attention on the sidelines of the field. This is because all but one of the players on the Gallaudet University American football team in Washington are deaf or hard of hearing. Goldstein says, “If our player is not looking at us, they’re not gonna know what we’re telling them.” However, he now holds a revolutionary helmet in his hands equipped with an augmented-reality eyepiece that can display play calls to the team on the field. Goldstein says, “We communicate fast, just like any other team in the country, but the difference is our players; they don’t hear whistles,” which sometimes leads to penalties. He adds, “It’s never ever a level playing field.” The possibilities now seem endless.
Sign of the times
Gallaudet, founded in 1864, is one of the country’s top schools for the deaf. Its football team has a significant place in American football history, credited with inventing the sport’s iconic huddle during an 1894 game against another deaf team to prevent them from figuring out their plays. The experimental helmets might be the university’s next contribution to communication in the sport. Developed by AT&T, the helmets have a classic football helmet appearance with a hard shell exterior, grilled face mask, and the bison mascot logo. They also include a clear, plastic lens hanging over one eye. Coaches send play calls from the sidelines via a tablet. Andrew Bennett, the assistant vice president of mass market 5G products at AT&T, explains, “It allows deaf and hard of hearing athletes to see play calls as quickly as their opponents can hear them.” The helmet also comes with a special alert system, which flashes an exclamation point on the lens to get the attention of the quarterback.
The display system reduces the burden for players who cannot hear their coaches, allowing them to avoid looking at the sidelines. It also brings them closer to the practices employed in the National Football League, which has long allowed for radio communication in helmets from coaches to players. However, this has yet to be implemented in college football. The development of the helmet involved multiple iterations and feedback from the Gallaudet players. Quarterback Brandon Washington recalls, “The first time I used the helmet, I really didn’t like it because it was really big in the back.” AT&T made modifications based on players’ suggestions, including reducing the size and weight of the battery and using plastic for the lens to avoid shattering on impact.
The biggest question now is how far the NCAA, the governing body of college athletics, will allow the helmets to be used. Currently, they have only authorized its use for a single game earlier this season. Coach Goldstein states that the new technology worked effortlessly and smoothly during that game. The Gallaudet team is now campaigning to extend the authorization to cover all of next season and plans to meet with the NCAA soon. Goldstein also speculates about the future possibilities of this technology, asking, “What if the NFL or other leagues adopted this technology?”
