SMU Athletics announced today it has entered into a multi-year partnership with Unequal® Technologies, the leading provider of customized, concealed sports protection. Unequal will be The Official Protection Partner of SMU Football, and each SMU football helmet will be outfitted with the Unequal Gyro, a supplemental helmet liner fortified with Kevlar® and Accelleron®, which predicts a significantly lower risk of concussions.
SMU is the first NCAA Division I football program to partner with Unequal for team-wide protective gear. In addition to the Gyro for head protection, SMU student-athletes will also have access to body protection gear from Unequal including the Invincible top, Viper girdle and custom shoulder, hip, thigh, knee or rib padding.
“There is no question Unequal is the right partner for us. You can’t win if your players are in the training room, and as a coach or administrator, you’re not doing everything you can to keep your student-athletes healthy unless you’re using the most advanced protection available,” said SMU Head Coach June Jones. “Unequal is the best thing that has come along for contact sports. We look forward to not only using Unequal’s protective sports gear but to working with the team at Unequal to continue to make their products better and to spread awareness to every college and league across the country.”
SMU Equipment Manager Albert Veytia began experimenting with Unequal padding as early as 2011 after learning Unequal was responsible for outfitting pro quarterback Tony Romo with protection following a rib fracture. Multiple SMU student-athletes have used layers of Unequal padding to reinforce shoulder pads or rib protectors and help protect against injuries in previous seasons.
All Unequal distinctively green products use a patented battle-grade composite fortified with Kevlar® and Accelleron® toabsorb and disperse impact forces beyond the performance of any sports protection of similar weight or thickness.
“We admire SMU’s commitment to keeping their student-athletes safe on the field of play and are excited to have them as a partner,” said Unequal CEO Rob Vito. “The Mustangs and Coach Jones are thought leaders in college athletics and recognize the need for the best protective gear available to their players. We see Unequal giving the Mustangs an added edge in competition this fall and look forward to working with the athletic department, student-athletes, alumni and Mustang fans for many years.”
To learn more about SMU Mustang football, visit www.SMUMustangs.com. For more information on Unequal products or Unequal Technologies, visit unequal.com.