Brian Kelly shares feeling on guardian caps in game setting

Players have the option to trade swagger for safety in college football this season.

Guardian caps can been worn by college football and NFL players in games in 2024. However, it’s not exactly aesthetically pleasing or very popular in-game. Still, adding the extra layer of protection to a player’s football uniform have become increasingly popular on practice fields and is an option for players to wear on Saturdays.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly made an exellent point as to why many players, especially in major college football, haven’t opted to use them on game days.

“It’s available, and there’s certainly not going to be a situation where if a kid wanted to wear a guardian cap, that a conference is going to say, ‘No, they can’t wear it,'” Kelly said on Tuesday. “Nobody has pushed that envelope yet, but I don’t see that anybody’s not going to be allowed to wear it.

“But the fact of the matter is, you know, I think that the numbers point that there isn’t a huge difference between the guardian cap in a game and not. I think that that’s why a lot have not gone to wearing them. But if there is a change, I’m sure that those who write the rules are going to change that as well. But we’ve seen it to be a really good piece of our equipment for practices and we’ll see where it goes, as it relates to games.”

More importantly, players like to deck their uniforms out with various additional items such as towels, handwarmers, visors, mouthpieces, etc. Having the guardian cap cover their Riddell’s Speed Flex helmet wouldn’t look as flashy as it would otherwise when they’re crossing the goal line.

Jokes aside, just like equipments such as braces, neck pads, etc., they might not look sexy — but if it’s supposed to help prevent concussions or any other injury on the practice field, it is an option and may be something to consider on game days moving forward.