Football Goes High Tech - Meet Football’s Newest Player, The MVP Drive Robotic Tackling Dummy

NEWS/ Farwell, MI – The seriousness of injuries has been a growing concern for many Americans who have played sports or have children currently playing sports. For instance, Recent CDC reports show that the amount of reported concussions has more than doubled in the last 10 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics has reported that emergency room visits for concussions in kids ages 8 to 13 years old has also doubled, and concussions have risen 200 percent among teens ages 14 to 19 in the last decade.

While the first hit can prove problematic, the second or third can cause permanent long-term damage.

For these reasons, a group of researchers and engineers at Dartmouth College, led by their Head Football Coach Buddy Teevens, decided it was time to put an end to player on player tackling during practice. Studies have shown that the majority of injuries were taking place during practice.  The concept for a Robotic tackling dummy was born. By simulating human motion, the MVPDrive allows players to practice tackling, blocking, pursuing, evading and throwing at a mobile target, without the collisions and fatigue, associated with teammate on teammate training. The MVPDrive is the first of its kind and the only robotic tackling dummy in the world!

Many coaches and teams have found this to be a major relief to a growing concern for the concussion epidemic in sports​.

Additional NFL Teams, colleges and high schools have also brought the MVP Drive to their facilities and schools. Rogers Athletic GM Kevin McLeod says; “The MVPDrive is a tool that was created to provide the most realistic playing experience without human involvement.   The concept holds true from Pop Warner to the National Football League as well as any other sport that desires to reduce the risk of injury through unnecessary contact.”

The MVP Drive is available exclusively through Rogers Athletic and is available now. To learn more about this new wave of football visit www.rogersathletic.com​

About Rogers Athletic

Since 1968, football coaches have trained youth, high school, college and professional champions by making Rogers Athletic football training sleds and dummies an important part of their practices. Football practice drills on Rogers' equipment help coaches teach player fundamentals, while protecting their athletes by limiting the amount of live contact. Our blocking and tackling sleds, offensive and defensive linemen chutes, and football dummies give your players the confidence to practice with game-day aggressiveness. We also supply all your football field equipment from goal posts to chain crew sets to give your stadium a professional look. Rogers' youth football training equipment; including, youth sleds, youth dummies, and youth chutes, safely teaches new players the basic fundamentals of football.

Rogers understands that champions are made long before the games begin. We have developed a revolutionary line of weight training equipment to provide the solution to off-season training as you prepare for your next season. From our heavy-duty Brute power racks to our complete line of Pendulum plate loaded machines, you can train the entire body from building explosive leg strength, a strong core, an iron grip and neck training to help prevent injury and lower concussive forces in your athletes. Rogers Athletic also offers a full range of loose weights, flooring, cardio machines and weight accessories to complete your weight room. Other services include custom colors and weight room layouts that can be provided to help you visualize and create your weight room of champions. Rogers Athletic is committed to manufacturing strength training equipment that promotes proper technique and is designed with safety in mind. GET STRONG!