Okay, the boring stuff first. Looks like a new style of football helmet introduced is actually reducing concussions according to this.

Newer football helmet technology and design may reduce the incidence of concussions in high school football players, according to results from the first phase of a three-year study by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s (UPMC) Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

Published in the February issue of the journal Neurosurgery, the UPMC study of more than 2,000 high school football players is the first on-the-field investigation to compare concussion rates and recovery times for high school football players wearing the Riddell Revolution helmet, with its newer technology and design, to concussion rates and recovery times for players wearing standard helmets with traditional design.

Across the three years of this initial study, the annual concussion rate was 5.4 percent in athletes wearing the Revolution helmet, compared with a 7.6 annual percent rate in athletes wearing standard helmets, representing a 2.3 percent decreased absolute risk of concussion for high school football players. In terms of relative risk, Revolution wearers were 31 percent less likely to sustain a concussion when compared with athletes who wore standard football helmets.
…
“Prior to this study, research evaluating the effectiveness of helmet design in reducing concussions was performed only in biomechanical laboratory settings,” said Mark R. Lovell, director of the UPMC program and a Pitt assistant professor of orthopaedics. “We applaud Riddell for its long-term dedication to research aimed at reducing the effects of what can be a very serious and common injury, and for actively supporting continued on-the-field investigations. By continuing this type of study long term, we will be able to obtain essential real-life data and increase our knowledge and understanding of how sports helmet technology and design may be effective in reducing the incidence of concussions in athletes.”

The large-scale observational naturalistic study was conducted by the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program with funding support from Riddell. The research took place over three consecutive football seasons from 2002 to 2004 and involved more than 2,000 football players from 17 high schools in Western Pennsylvania for which UPMC directs an ongoing individualized clinical concussion management program.

Just kind of interesting, including how UPMC was involved in post-concussion treatments. Also, while reducing the number of concussions, it did not change the recovery time from one.

In the short-term the greatest beneficiaries of the study were the high school athletes whose schools’ participated. Not from the helmet, necessarily, but from having people trained in recognizing and diagnosing concussions at the games. This probably provided a lot more of the kids with greater long-term safety and protection because they were less likely to get back in and risk a real long-term harm.

Now on to the recruiting notes.

Pitt finally had a defection from its recruiting class. Eric Rodemoyer, an OL who verballed to Pitt in late June, has instead gone over to WVU. Mixed feelings here. While Rodemoyer was not exactly a “big” recruit, he was a O-lineman. And we all know Pitt needs help with the O-line. Then there’s the fact that it was WVU that got them. Ignore for the minute that the Hoopies are the enemy. WVU under Rodriguez has done an excellent job at recognizing and developing talent on the line. That’s what makes it somewhat annoying to lose him. It would appear that they see a lot of potential in him.

As this morning’s Pittsburgh Sports Report e-mail update described the kid:

Rodemoyer has good feet, and if he drops some weight he could have a chance to see early playing time at West Virginia. He’ll likely play guard, but he can also play center. He’s the type of player West Virginia has had success with in the past, a bulldog-type scrapper in the trenches.

Then, Scouts, Inc./ESPN.com (Insider Subs.) also seemed to like him a lot.

Rodemoyer is a big old people mover. He can get into defenders and drive them off the line of scrimmage in the run game. He gets good hand placement and has good leg drive. He displays good lower body strength because he plays with high pads and is still able to get good movement. He can wash down defenders that penetrate inside. He moves well for a big man and can get up to the second level and get a piece of linebackers. He is able to put defenders on the ground on contact when he can get an angle on them. He can pull down the line of scrimmage and kick out. Film was limited on Rodemoyer pass blocking, but he displays the ability to be an effective pass blocker especially from the guard position. He can take up a lot space, has adequate feet to mirror defenders, and has the size and strength to anchor versus the bull rush. He could possibly be a right tackle at the college level, but we feel he will get the most out of his abilities as a guard.

They consider him the 63rd best Guard in the country. Ouch.

WVU or Pitt could hear today regarding cornerback Aaron Berry from Bishop-McDevitt. Berry is apparently down to Pitt, WVU or Minnesota. Not really sure about the Gophers, though, with Glen Mason’s contract status still up in the air.

Out in NY, Pitt is still hopeful on one of the top-5 players from Syracuse.

Rounding out the top five is defensive end McKenzie Mathews who is still up in the air between Boston College, Michigan and Pittsburgh. The three-star prospect moved up one spot after exploding this season with 97 tackles, 26 sacks and one interception.

Mathews will be visiting Syracuse this weekend, so I expect him to wait to announce until the very end.