Schutt F7 Pro Named to TIME's List of the Best Inventions of 2026
PLAINFIELD, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 15, 2026--
The Schutt F7 Pro, the most advanced football helmet ever produced by Schutt Sports, has been named to TIME's annual list of the Best Inventions of 2026. The recognition places the F7 Pro, the fastest-adopted helmet in NFL history, among 300 innovations TIME identified as changing the way we live.
“To have TIME recognize the F7 Pro alongside the year's most important innovations is validation of something we believe deeply: that protecting athletes is one of the most meaningful challenges that technology can solve,” said Jeremy Erspamer, CEO of Certor Sports, the parent company of Schutt. “We're proud to make that protection accessible not just to the players already in the NFL, but to the next generation shaping the future of the game.”
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Schutt F7 Pro Named to TIME's List of the Best Inventions of 2026
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PLAINFIELD, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 15, 2026--
The Schutt F7 Pro, the most advanced football helmet ever produced by Schutt Sports, has been named to TIME's annual list of the Best Inventions of 2026. The recognition places the F7 Pro, the fastest-adopted helmet in NFL history, among 300 innovations TIME identified as changing the way we live.
“To have TIME recognize the F7 Pro alongside the year's most important innovations is validation of something we believe deeply: that protecting athletes is one of the most meaningful challenges that technology can solve,” said Jeremy Erspamer, CEO of Certor Sports, the parent company of Schutt. “We're proud to make that protection accessible not just to the players already in the NFL, but to the next generation shaping the future of the game.”
The F7 Pro was the only helmet ranked in the Top 5 of the NFL and NFLPA's recent Helmet Performance Testing made readily available to athletes at the professional, collegiate and high-school levels. It has since become the fastest-adopted helmet in NFL history, worn by All-Pro talent including Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb and two-way star Travis Hunter.
At the center of the F7 Pro is the DNA CORE, an in-house-developed 3D-printed lattice that reimagines how a helmet manages impact. Rather than transferring the full force of a hit to the player, the lattice distributes energy across thousands of microscopic columns — each smaller than a pencil tip — that buckle and bend in controlled sequences, slowing the impact and reducing the force reaching the head. Engineering the lattice in-house allowed Schutt to eliminate eight separate plastic components found in traditional helmets, producing a lighter, sleeker helmet that reduces fatigue and neck strain caused by the impacts a player absorbs across a season.
“On-field player data studies showed us not just where and how players are impacted, but speed, force, and frequency that traditional helmet design never accounted for,” said Jason Neubauer, Chief Innovation Officer at Certor Sports. “That let us rethink protection from the ground up — materials, architecture, everything — instead of just adding more padding. The F7 Pro is the result, and it's only the beginning of where this technology goes.”
For Certor Sports, the recognition reinforces a mission that extends well beyond the NFL. The company is bringing NFL-grade protection to youth and varsity athletes nationwide as an Official Corporate Champion of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), spanning roughly 20,000 high schools, and as the Official Tackle Protective Partner of USA Football, the sport's national governing body. Certor funds $750,000 in annual grants through USA Football to lower barriers to play, work that recently put top-rated Schutt helmets on every player in a McKees Rocks, Pa., youth league alongside Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's Chasing M's Foundation.
“We believe it's the best helmet out there at the elite level,” Erspamer said. “But what matters just as much is that the same standard of protection reaches the kids putting on a helmet for the first time. That's the future we're building toward.”
Since 1918, Schutt Sports, part of the Certor Sports family, has been a world leader in football helmet technology and athlete protection. From the NFL to youth programs across the country, Schutt's gear is trusted by those who demand innovation, performance, and a commitment to safety. With a relentless focus on the future of the game, Schutt continues to set the standard in protective sports equipment. Learn more at schuttsports.com.
ABOUT CERTOR SPORTS
Certor Sports specializes in manufacturing products under the VICIS, Schutt, and TUCCI brands. As a premier provider of athletic protective gear and high-performance apparel, Certor Sports is committed to safeguarding athletes with cutting-edge solutions. With a strong emphasis on quality and performance, Certor Sports has established itself as a trusted leader in athletic protection. To learn more about Certor Sports, visit certorsports.com.
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