In 1906 Upton Sinclair published his novel, the Jungle, describing the horrific and inhumane practices of the meat packing industry. Following his novel’s publication didn’t come a shut down of the meat industry, rather, there was a critical overhaul in regulations and practices.

This is what we are seeing in football today.

With the concussion crisis being named as the “end of football” it is important to realize that some of America’s finest minds are working to solve it.

The helmet technology of the past has been nothing more than simple padding in a hard shell. Until recently the last major upgrade in helmet technology was adjustable air bladders introduced by Riddell… in 1971. This is the year that Elon Musk was born and when communists were a larger threat to Americans than any sort of concussion.

The concussion crisis has sparked a charge in innovation for equipment manufacturers never before seen in the sport. New companies like Vicis and i1 Biometrics are creating football technologies that aim to reduce concussions in football. Vicis alone has gained millions in support in just a few years to create on of the safest helmets in football.

Not only is the technology advancing quicker than ever, but more attention is being paid to tackling form. High schools across the nation have been using helmetless tackling drills to show that a helmet is a tool, and not a weapon.

Officiating has also been modified to limit dangerous practices on the field with harsh penalties for illegal hits.

Concussions in football will never be stopped completely, but by changing the way we think about them, we can make the game safer at all levels.