Russell Brands, LLC introduced its first football shoulder pad system, which it claims significantly reduces the transmission of force in comparative testing with competitor’s products.


The new shoulder pad system – CarbonTek with OS Technology – has been tested on-field by elite athletes and undergone scientific and field evaluations by leading experts to demonstrate superior impact management, fit and performance.

 

Russell Athletic designed and engineered the pads in conjunction with some of the best minds in protection technology, including collegiate and professional football equipment managers and training staffs as well as aerospace and automotive engineers – experts in designing strong, yet lightweight materials built to manage the effects of high speed impacts.

 

 

“Russell Athletic has a long tradition of manufacturing sporting goods that push the category forward, and we are very excited about the CarbonTek shoulder pad system,” said Robby Davis, Russell Athletic Sr. Vice President General Manager. “This is an important category for us and our industry. We believe there has been a particular void in innovation in the shoulder pad space. That’s where CarbonTek comes in-we can utilize Russell Athletic’s roots in football and dedication to quality and innovation to create what we believe is a product with superior impact management, a lower profile and a better fit for players.”

 

At the core of the CarbonTek with OS Technology shoulder pad system are two revolutionary materials combining for a unique protective advantage: an automotive grade foam vest and a 100% carbon fiber exoskeleton. This unique design combines to offer the athlete the following product attributes:

 

 


  • OS Technology Compression Vest

  • Fabric and design hold padding close to the body for maximum protection

  • X-ray images are visible while wearing the padding system

  • Can be used without exoskeleton for non-contact days 

  • Odor management technology 

  • Machine Washable

  • Carbon Fiber Exoskeleton

  • 100% Aerospace grade carbon fiber resulting in 10% reduction in weight vs. competitors 

  • Better impact management than traditional plastic 

  • Exoskeleton molded to fit an athlete’s body 

  • Military-grade buckle system for secure fit that reduces bulk

Russell Athletic enlisted the help of industry experts to test the CarbonTek with OS Technology including sports equipment specialists and elite football players. Sports equipment scientist, Dr. Richard Brandt, conducted a series of laboratory tests on impact forces and energy dispersion and in the process developed a new, innovative shoulder pad study (patent pending).


“We subjected the CarbonTek shoulder pad and the best alternative pads to controlled rigorous impact tests in order to determine which pad was most effective in reducing the large impact forces experienced by football players,” Dr. Brandt, founder of Sports Science Inc. said. “To simulate the collisions experienced by these players, we impacted a pad-protected human torso model, appropriately modified and instrumented, with solid loads chosen to reproduce the large forces encountered in player collisions. In these tests, CarbonTek outperformed the other shoulder pads tested in all assessed aspects of impact dispersion, with the most notable finding being a more than 63% reduction in the average force felt through the CarbonTek shoulder pad system in a 600 pound impact test.”