John Zeglinski was a two-sport athlete at Wake Forest back when concussions meant smelling salts and getting back in the game.

Now, he's the CEO of SAFR—a spring-loaded helmet cover shown to reduce concussions by up to 48% in live play and 77% in lab testing.

In this episode, Jake and Tyler talk to Ziggy about the business of head safety in football: how SAFR works, why aesthetics are critical for adoption, and what’s keeping it out of the NFL—for now.

They also dig into the broader culture around football safety, the helmet refurbishing industry, and the surprising reasons schools haven’t made these devices mandatory.

If you’ve ever wondered why more players don’t wear protective gear, this episode will change the way you look at the game.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro00:56 – What head safety was like when Ziggy played02:36 – How the concussion conversation evolved05:55 – New concussion data from Penn State & Mecklenburg County07:07 – How SAFR works and how it compares to Guardian Cap10:50 – Spring-loaded design and energy transfer explained13:32 – The physics and materials behind SAFR15:30 – Why aesthetics matter for player adoption17:15 – What it would take to get NFL approval20:18 – Helmet refurbishing and manufacturer incentives21:05 – Risk homeostasis and coaching culture23:13 – Technique vs. tech: what actually makes football safer24:03 – Buying the company and early momentum26:05 – Why Guardian Cap’s visibility helped everyone27:59 – Youth player demand and future adoption29:44 – Declining youth participation and the safety narrative30:39 – Can SAFR expand into other sports?31:21 – Recap with Jake and Tyler