
Having a large neck roll in made players seem larger and more intimidating. In today’s NFL speed is king, players often wear smaller shoulder pads and light equipment in order to get an edge on the field. The use of neck rolls does not fit nearly as well with the new fast-paced passing era of the NFL.
What is a football neck roll and how does it work?
The football neck roll provides an extra layer of protection that can stabilize your neck and head and reduce the chances of sustaining an injury during impact on the field. An ideal neck roll should be a light, yet durable, piece of equipment. The neck roll should be fastened tightly to ensure maximum safety.
Does the neck roll need to be adjusted during play?
However, despite the need for a clenched fit, the neck roll should still be adjusted in a fashion that allows your neck to breathe comfortably. It is imperative you monitor the neck roll amid play to assure it hasn’t fallen out of its proper alignment.
How to choose the right neck roll for You?
An ideal neck roll should be a light, yet durable, piece of equipment. The neck roll should be fastened tightly to ensure maximum safety. However, despite the need for a clenched fit, the neck roll should still be adjusted in a fashion that allows your neck to breathe comfortably.
What is the best neck roll for a motorcycle helmet?
Sportsdepot.com raves about the McDavid Cowboy Collar, considered by some to be the foremost neck roll available on the market today, and lauded because it helps to lessen shock around all sides of a helmet. Conversely, a standard neck roll strictly protects the bottom of a helmet.

Why do football players wear neck rolls?
It attaches to the shoulder pads, with either screws, clips, or ties, and wraps around the neck, under the helmet. When the player gets hit, makes a tackle, or hits the ground hard, the neck roll prevents the head from snapping back, causing whiplash or any other neck or head injury.
Do NFL players still wear neck rolls?
Unfortunately, in today's NFL, the cowboy collar is going extinct. The few players who still wear neck rolls don't possess the same swagger or intimidation that the old-school players had. See below: That's not a pad; that's a fashion statement.
Why did football players stop wearing neck rolls?
Joseph said that neck rolls probably disappeared because the game had sped up and equipment had been altered to allow players to keep pace. Linebacker Michael Boley, who said he never dabbled with a neck roll in his younger days, agreed, saying most players today want pads that are light and allow for movement.
What are football players wearing around their necks?
The C-shaped device, called the Q-Collar, fits around the back and side of the neck. It works by clamping down on blood vessels in the neck, which increases blood volume in the skull. This limits the movement of the brain inside the skull, which researchers believe generally causes traumatic brain injury.
What is a cowboy collar?
Braces. The Cowboy Collar is a neck-roll system that combines a molded collar of polyethylene foam with a padded vest (Figure 1). The collar is worn under the shoulder pads and is designed to engage the sides and rear of the helmet and reduce extreme cervical motion.
Why do football players hold their shoulder pads?
It's just a small cushion, but that does wonders for the mentality of players delivering a shot. And it might just save your shoulders over the course of a 16-game season.
What happened to cowboy collars in football?
The Cowboy Collar, the curved, black polystyrene foam neck pad popularized by fullback Daryl Johnston, has fallen so out of favor that the company, McDavid, Inc., which invented it, plans to discontinue making it once its current inventory runs out (likely at the end of 2014).
Why do football players wear collars?
Specifically, brachial plexopathy, known as a stinger or burner, is a common injury in competitive football. Studies have shown lifetime injury incidences from 49% to 65% in college football. Many players will wear a football neck collar to prevent such injuries.
How do you do a neck roll?
Neck Rolls InstructionsBegin with your head straight and looking forward.Gently tilt your head to the right and start rolling it back.Keep rolling your head to the left and then down.Bring your head up to the starting position and repeat in the opposite direction.
Why do NFL players wear headbands around their neck?
Researchers have found that a slight constriction of key neck veins keeps cerebral fluids around the brain, which may protect it from concussive injuries.
What does a Q-Collar do?
The Q-Collar is a simple and safe device that applies light pressure to the jugular veins. This pressure slightly increases blood volume inside the head and helps reduce the brain's movement upon impact, which is the primary cause of brain injury.
What do athletes wear around their neck?
Phiten necklaces have become the must-have accessory for many professional athletes, especially in Major League Baseball (MLB). Some of the MLB players seen wearing them include Jon Lester, Justin Verlander and Justin Pedroia. Athletes claim that the necklaces improve their performance on the field.
Do Q collars work?
After a season of play, 77% of the athletes who wore the collars had no significant changes to the white matter in their brains; 73% of the athletes who didn't wear the collar did.
How do you do a neck roll?
Neck Rolls InstructionsBegin with your head straight and looking forward.Gently tilt your head to the right and start rolling it back.Keep rolling your head to the left and then down.Bring your head up to the starting position and repeat in the opposite direction.
How do you put a neck roll on shoulder pads?
1:042:14NeckRoll - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis would actually drill into the back of the shoulder pads and then this is going to just preventMoreThis would actually drill into the back of the shoulder pads and then this is going to just prevent extension. So when he tilts his head back it would go up against this and it would help prevent.
What is the purpose of a football neck roll?
The main purpose of a neck roll is to cradle and hold the neck in proper place. It attaches to the shoulder pads, with either screws, clips, or ties, and wraps around the neck, under the helmet.
What is Kuechly's collar called?
The device Kuechly is wearing is called a Q Collar.
Who was the NFL player who wore neck rolls?
In the 1970s, 80s and 90s, gritty NFL players, like Jack Lambert, Will Wolford and — perhaps most famously — Howie Long, used to wear neck rolls, an old school, piece of equipment that permeated the league.
What is the injury that the neck collar was designed to prevent?
Despite the new trends, the injury that the neck collar was designed to prevent remains prevalent. A brachial plexus injury occurs when impact forces the head back or to the side, causing a stretching of the nerves and numbness sometimes called a burner.
Who invented cowboy collars?
The Cowboy Collar, the curved, black polystyrene foam neck pad popularized by fullback Daryl Johnston, has fallen so out of favor that the company, McDavid, Inc., which invented it, plans to discontinue making it once its current inventory runs out (likely at the end of 2014).
Is spread offense an offensive staple?
Spread offenses are all the rage. The power play is no longer an offensive staple, and fullbacks are an endangered species. A streamlined look is in; the larger shoulder pads of the 1990s are out.
Did Matt Slauson block a field goal?
While Matt Slauson blocked on a field goal attempt for the Jets in 2010, the Bills brought the house to try and block the kick. Slauson endured multiple burners, though he did not miss a game that season. He now wears a smaller version of the neck roll that Velcros to the inside of his shoulder pad, a handy piece of equipment for a pulling guard who often takes on a linebacker with a full head of steam.
Why do football players roll their necks?
Therefore, injuries are commonplace in the sport. Your neck and upper spine are particularly susceptible to injury. The football neck roll can help protect these vital parts of your body.
What is a football neck roll?
A football neck roll is a thick piece of padded foam, comprised of vinyl or nylon, which is intended to fit around the back of the shoulder pads along the jersey’s neckline. The equipment is designed to be attached to shoulder pads with straps. The football neck roll provides an extra layer of protection that can stabilize your neck and head ...
Why should neck roll be fastened?
The neck roll should be fastened tightly to ensure maximum safety. However, despite the need for a clenched fit, the neck roll should still be adjusted in a fashion that allows your neck to breathe comfortably. It is imperative you monitor the neck roll amid play to assure it hasn’t fallen out of its proper alignment.
Why do you roll your neck?
Neck rolls are especially designed to prevent injuries like stingers and whiplash. The website for the Orthopedic Associates of Hartford PC reports a stinger is an extremely painful injury that affects nerves traveling throughout the spinal cord, arms and neck. Defensive players most commonly suffer the wound when tackling an opponent on the other side of the ball. Depending on the severity, the pain from a stinger will vary. A moderate stinger can subside in 15 minutes or less. Unfortunately a more severe stinger can linger and become a recurring ailment.
How much does a neck roll cost?
Neck Rolls can be purchased in most sporting good stores and generally range in price from $10 to $100. Sportsdepot.com raves about the McDavid Cowboy Collar, considered by some to be the foremost neck roll available on the market today, and lauded because it helps to lessen shock around all sides of a helmet.

They Were Mostly A Fashion Statement
- The main reason that the NFL and college football has seen a large decrease in the usage of neck rolls is predominantly because they were a fashion statement. Back in the ’80s, a large number of professional football players wore this equipment making it popular at all levels of play. Though just like other fashion trends over time the look of the ...
Inhibits Ability to Look Around
- Another reason that the neck roll has declined in popularity is due to its effect on your neck mobility. Whether you are playing offense or defence having your head on a swivel can be an important factor in your game. Having the neck roll in makes it more difficult for players to turn their heads side to side. Playing the offensive line position this can be difficult as these players …
Doesn’T Fit Into Todays Game
- Another factor to take into account is that the neck roll was popular in a different area of football. In these 80’s running was much more prominent and players were more inclined to think about physicality as opposed to skill and finesse. This changed the appearance of players as back in that era looking as big as possible was the goal. Having a large neck roll in made players seem l…
Lack of Head to Head Contact
- One more reason that may have led to the decline of neck rolls AKA cowboy collars in football is a reduction in head to head contact. in the eighties and nineties, it was common for players to make head to head contact on tackles as well as blocks. Having the neck roll was believed to protect your neck in these sorts of interactions. Nowadays the NFL is much more aware of the cognitiv…