Saskatchewan Roughriders’ running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon made history last Friday when he became the first player to wear a Guardian Cap in a Canadian Football League [CFL] game.
“I was at a position where a lot of guys got hurt before and I just wanted to think about my safety. So I basically talked to the equipment managing staff [before the game] and asked them if I could wear it,” he said.
A Guardian Cap is a helmet cover used for impact reduction and to prevent concussions.
The Canadian said the decision was based on where he was placed on the depth chart for that matchup and a previous injury he suffered in the position.
“I already had a concussion at the beginning of the year on kickoff actually. So they took me off [kickoff] for a little bit and it was my first game back at kickoff. So I just wanted to be safe,” he explained.
Bertrand-Hudon said he has experienced three concussions during his football career.
In 2023, the league mandated the Guardian Cap for certain positions to be worn at practice to help prevent concussions. Bertrand-Hudon said that helped with getting used to wearing it during the game.
“We practice with them every day. So it didn’t feel any heavier or anything like that. It felt the same actually,” he shared.
Even though he was the first pro player to wear one in the CFL, Bertrand-Hudon he said he did not draw it up that way in his head.
“I never had it in my head the fact that I’d be the first one. I was just thinking of my health in the decision. I mean, I guess I’m happy I’m the first one so hopefully I can encourage a lot of kids, especially when they are younger, to wear it maybe. Maybe [they can] make it mandatory up until the age of 10 or something like that,” he said.
Head coach Corey Mace said he hopes players who want to wear a Guardian Cap for safety do so.
“I would hope that is somebody felt like they wanted to wear it, they should have instead of waiting for somebody else to do it because it’s about safety. But if Thomas is the one who kind of opens the floodgates so to speak then, you know, good for him,” he said.
Bertrand-Hudon also shared that he has had other players reach out to him since wearing it.
“I had a couple of players all throughout the league that I know personally and they all asked me how it was and if it was a good idea to wear it. Hopefully they might also wear it,” he said.
However, not every player is for the idea of wearing them during the game.
“I’m a person who likes to focus on speed and quickness so having any extra weight on me doesn’t feel particularly great on game day so for Thomas that’s okay, for me maybe not. But to each their own,” said fellow running back, Frankie Hickson.
Bertrand-Hudon did admit that he is not sure he will wear it every game going forward.