Parker, Colorado —On Tuesday, the Broncos announced the beginning of “ALL IN. ALL COVERED,” an unprecedented commitment to provide over 15,000 new Riddell Axiom smart helmets to every high school tackle football program across the state at no cost.

And CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger believes the initiative’s significance and influence on the state of Colorado cannot be emphasized.

“For us to be able to be here today to share in that opportunity is just hard to wrap our minds around,” Krueger told reporters on Tuesday. “I believe it goes without saying that we are excited. I believe that is an understatement. But I believe that term would be topped by the word ‘gratefulness.’ We are really appreciative for this chance and the resources that come with it.

The Axiom helmets use Riddell’s TRU-FIT™ SYSTEM, which employs 3D imaging of each athlete’s head for a tailored fit and protection system to increase impact response. The Broncos’ deliberate selection of these helmets shows their dedication to health and wellbeing, which Allie Engelken, vice president of community impact and executive director of the Denver Broncos Foundation, underlined as a major pillar of the organization.

Not only will the helmets address health and wellness issues, boosting participation in the sport throughout the state, but giving players with the most costly piece of equipment necessary to compete is likely to have a huge impact.

“We know that the helmet is the single most expensive piece of individual equipment required to play tackle football,” Engelken told the crowd. “That is a barrier. That is a hurdle for schools that do not have access to funding. It is a barrier for individual athletes who do not have the option of having their parents purchase one for them. If we can make the game safer while simultaneously removing barriers so that more kids can participate, we will be able to further our aim of making a good effect statewide.”

The good impacts of the helmets, however, are likely to go well beyond the football field and even the sport of football.

“School budgets are tight,” Krueger explained. “This piece of equipment is very pricey for school budgets and athletic departments. So, it will have a significant influence. That influence will extend beyond football programs since monies that would have been used for helmets can now be shared among various programs. So, this has a significant influence, not only on football programs, but especially on them. This will have a significant impact on athletic and educational budgets throughout our state.

Bobby Mestas, Broncos director of youth and high school football, added: “I believe there is always a pressure on athletic departments to ensure that their children are adequately cared for in all sports, boys and girls. Helmets are the most costly piece of equipment, thus some of these schools with extremely little budgets must find methods to generate tens of thousands of dollars each year, whether through booster clubs or fundraisers. Helmets are phased out. Many schools try to anticipate how many helmets they will need to acquire each year. So, with this 25% rollout, this initiative would effectively remove many of the budget restraints and not just benefit football, but the money that teams would have had to save to buy helmets can now be passed down to support other sports — boys and girls.

“There isn’t a single school in the state that won’t benefit from this, because everyone is fighting the budget war and raising funds. And everyone is striving to catch up on their equipment, particularly helmets.”

The project follows the completion of the inaugural season of girls flag football as an official high school sport in Colorado, which was made possible by many years of sponsorship from the Broncos and the Denver Broncos Foundation. The work resulted with the sport’s formal sanctioning in April, and these two recent efforts demonstrate the Broncos’ unwavering commitment to provide chances for neighborhood youngsters to participate in sports.

Krueger, who highlighted the relevance of the sanctioning opportunities last year, is excited to see the far-reaching good impact of a youth-centered effort.

“I hope you understand that this is more than just handing schools a football helmet,” Krueger explained. “The technology that comes with this—[it’s] the gold standard that was chosen here to stand alongside pupils. I simply want to thank the Denver Broncos Foundation, and especially Bobby and Allie, for their efforts. President Damani Leech of the organization is a staunch supporter of all our projects. I would want to express my heartfelt gratitude to [Owner] Carrie Walton Penner, [Owner and CEO] Greg Penner, the [Walton-Penner Family] Ownership Group, the Denver Broncos Foundation, and their leadership. When you consider it, we are quite fortunate in Colorado. This is unparalleled across the country. I believe they deserve our heartfelt gratitude for putting us in this situation. Their leadership extends beyond inspiring. Carrie Walton Penner and Greg Penner do inspire us, but their attempts are genuine. They make significant investments in our athletes, schools, and the CHSAA, and we are very delighted to be a part of this.

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