Philadelphia City Council Recognizes SAFR for Making Philadelphia the City with the Safest High School Programs in the Nation

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Philadelphia formally recognizes locally based SAFR, for its leadership in advancing concussion prevention and athlete protection through proven football helmet cover technology. 

In collaboration with donations from city-wide sponsors and the International Student Athlete Academy (ISAA), SAFR outfitted more than 1,500 high school athletes with protective covers at no cost to them, ensuring accessibility for all.

Under the "We Make Philadelphia Football SAFR" initiative, 28 high school programs at schools such as West Philadelphia, Northeast, Archbishop Ryan and Simon Gratz now benefit from top-tier concussion safeguards, extending into future seasons. 

Key partnerships and donations from Ron Jaworski, La-Z-Boy Furniture, Specialty Freight, the NFL Foundation, Teamsters Joint Council 53 and its affiliated Locals, Fritz & Bianculli Law Firm, and numerous individual community supporters have played a vital role in expanding the reach and impact of the program.

With these efforts, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania are now gaining recognition as a national leader in high school concussion prevention, setting a powerful example across the country.

This campaign's success has directly led to State Representative Sean Dougherty's proposed 2025 legislation to require impact-reducing, soft-shell covers for state high school football players in practices and games.

Through its patented Scientifically Advanced Force Reduction (SAFR) technology, SAFR has become a national leader in reducing impact-related risk in contact sports—particularly football—where head injuries remain a critical concern. Each year, more than 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur in the United States, with youth athletes comprising the most vulnerable population due to ongoing brain development.

SAFR is led by executives who are former Philadelphia Public and Catholic League football players, bringing firsthand experience and deep Philadelphia community roots to its mission of protecting young athletes.

"With the help of our sponsors and donors, we focused on ensuring that our hometown, Philadelphia, is at the forefront of player protection. This recognition from the City of Philadelphia, underscores the importance of proactive, science-backed solutions to protect young athletes and ensure the long-term health of the game. We look forward to Pennsylvania working to protect all state-wide players," said John Zeglinski, CEO of SAFR Sports.

Phil Gormley, Athletic Director Philadelphia Public League PL Football Chairman from Northeast High School, commented, "We appreciate the effort by SAFR and its team. Our kids in the Public Schools rarely have the opportunity to receive such a wonderful gift. We are excited that we will be reducing concussion risk as a result."

Similarly, Stephen Haug Executive Director of Athletics Office of Catholic Education said, "The Archdiocese is always focused on player safety. We hope this will both protect our players and also encourage parents and coaches to play this great game safely."

The recognition will be presented during a Philadelphia City Council session on January 22 at 1:30 at City Hall in the Caucus room and will become part of the City's official public record.

Media Contact:
Samantha Wood
Inzpire, LLC
[email protected] 
215-262-5045

SOURCE SAFR