Just a football question

...and in college almost every linemen wears them, doesnt make sense to me.

ocscottie wrote:

...and in college almost every linemen wears them, doesnt make sense to me.

Yup. I see college guys wearing them. I've never understood frankly why every player doesn't wear them. They wear all kinds of other gear. I guarantee if players would get used to them they would not be slowed down one bit. So seems so strange at this level with the money these players make they wouldn't wear them.

Gotta be a good reason. It's not like these guys don't take every aspect of their profession seriously. They have committed their entire lives to the sport at an insane level of competition.
Maybe they are worried about breaking something else?

Hut wrote:

Gotta be a good reason. It's not like these guys don't take every aspect of their profession seriously. They have committed their entire lives to the sport at an insane level of competition.
Maybe they are worried about breaking something else?

I'll take a bone break rather then a blown out knee. I mean even a broken femur is a better outcome then a catastrophic knee injury.

So I really can't think of a single good reason why they don't wear carbon fiber knee braces. Once you get used to them you don't even know they are there. I'm open to trying to understand why they don't. Just seems crazy to me.

Just like they dont wear cups! Thats crazy

Here is a good article. They just don't like them and inconclusive if they actually work or not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/08/sports/ncaafootball/college-football-playoff-alabama-clemson-knee-braces.html

One, they dont like them.
Two, it gives them a disadvantage at the bargaining table. Seriously, teams will use it against them when negotiating contracts. Braces give the impression they have a weakness.

Im not sure if they even work or not.

How many moto guys wear them and still blow out their knee?

Hut wrote:

Here is a good article. They just don't like them and inconclusive if they actually work or not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/08/sports/ncaafootball/college-football-playoff-alabama-clemson-knee-braces.html

So they're like the leatt of football?

Hut wrote:

Here is a good article. They just don't like them and inconclusive if they actually work or not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/08/sports/ncaafootball/college-football-playoff-alabama-clemson-knee-braces.html

IWreckALot wrote:

So they're like the leatt of football?

That is exactly what I was thinking.

Hut wrote:

Here is a good article. They just don't like them and inconclusive if they actually work or not.
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/08/sports/ncaafootball/college-football-playoff-alabama-clemson-knee-braces.html

Interesting article. More opinion based then scientific of course. The two players hurt in last nights game were linemen not wearing a knee brace. So we can definitely say not wearing a knee brace can lead to a potential knee injury. That much is very clear.

I wore CTI's starting in the early'ish 90's all the way through my racing career and there were many instances the knee brace saved my knee from exploding. You can feel it when the brace hit's full stop. And think if you didn't have the brace the knee would just keep going until you tore ACL/MCL etc.

I used them every time for practice and race and it became a part of me so to speak. I forgot them one practice day and wouldn't even think about getting on the motorcycle without them.

I just found it strange these players in the trenches don't wear them more often considering the abundance of knee injuries.

UW lost their starting right tackle to a knee injury a few weeks ago, so we'd also have to say that playing with a knee brace can lead tto a significant knee injury........

From personal experience, I can only offer this. Brace take away flexibility, needs to move quickly, and change direction. Learned this when I strapped mine on, and played hockey with them the first time. Very weird sensation, and it's a bit of a learning curve to skate with them. Even 15 degrees of flex is more than none, which is what braces give.
Also tore an ACL riding with a brace on, but it wasn't as bad as the tear without one. THAT............was my left ankle against my left hip sideways, just like that mag ad you hate to look at.

My buddy told me that his line coaches in college would not let them on the practice field without them.

ocscottie wrote:

...and in college almost every linemen wears them, doesnt make sense to me.

Was going to say the same thing. Feel like I see them all the time in college ball

That article I posted explains that many big college teams require knee bracing for Lineman. As in not optional they are mandatory to be on the team.
The NFL players have collective bargaining so it's not so easy for coaches to require them to wear it without having actual stats to support their effectiveness.

Michigan->http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2016/10/17/harbaugh-knee-braces-now-mandatory-all-um-linemen/92294880/

Watson who was on pace for rookie or the year and possible MVP tore his ACL in practice today. A Bills player looked to have a hyperextension and damage not yet known.

Neither player wearing a knee brace.

Makes you wonder....

Arizona player down with knee injury. No brace.