• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Shadowman Sports Sees a Safer Future for Football

Shadowman Sports - Football - Sports

With NFL training camps concluded, the preseason well underway, and high school and college programs picking up across the nation, another element to football takes center stage: injuries. 

That’s where the innovative team at Shadowman Sports comes in.

Shadowman Sports is a football practice equipment company that is dedicated to providing injury-preventative gear to help athletes develop proper rugby-style tackling techniques. This stops injuries, keeps the best players on the field, and leaves the game in a far better, healthier place. 

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

The company recently announced a new partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy that makes it the official tackling partner of the academy, which is particularly notable given the Academy’s mission. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy is a non-profit organization created to help develop youth football and young players entering the game around the world.

This is a crucial effort for the sport given that, “football has kind of been under attack lately,” COO and President of Shadowman Sports Stephen Flanagan stated.

Players, their parents, and others have been bemoaning all the injuries and criticizing the sport as too violent and dangerous to play, especially for youngsters.

“They — the Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy and programs using our equipment — are using us (Shadowman Sports) to introduce a better, safer way to practice football across the nation,” Flanagan explained.

He and founder of the company J.P. Hartigan are incredibly proud of Shadowman Sports’ involvement in this effort as “the future of youth football is reliant on our ability to teach kids safer and better ways to practice in order to avoid serious injuries — from the first day of practice until the last,” the two said.

A contact sport like football will always involve a certain level of violence or physicality, which Shadowman Sports isn’t looking to change. That’s an innate part of the game that makes it great. However, it’s often practices that are the most dangerous, as Flanagan pointed out.

“The majority of injuries happen in practice, which is devastating. Doing drills with players hitting players… sometimes it can get taken too far and lots of reps lead to breakdown and injuries.”

Shadowman Sports’ tackling system lets coaches keep that same level of physicality in their practice, yet instead of players hitting other players, they get to work on the Shadowman Pro and Shadowman Junior tackling systems. As Flanagan noted, what makes this particular equipment great is that it’s remarkably realistic, humanoid in form, and it teaches proper, safe, rugby-style tackling tactics.   

Now, you may be thinking “wait, rugby, isn’t that more violent and dangerous?”

But as Flanagan explained, that’s a bit of a misnomer.

“In rugby, you have a t-shirt and shorts; no pads or a helmet, nothing — yet there are far fewer head injuries because they know how to tackle. Their approach is to take the head out of the tackle; hit a player in the ‘target zone,’ wrap and roll the guy, and keep the head to the side. With that proper technique, the goal isn’t to hurt, it’s to effectively tackle and block.”

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

The other element Flanagan mentioned that sets Shadowman Sports apart is “its beauty as a turn-key solution. We provide the equipment, and from there a lot of what we do is just walking a coach through it — explaining the corresponding videos and tutorials showing ‘target zone,’ ‘wrap-and-roll,’ and proper tackling tactics.”

It’s simple, easy, and remarkably effective, both for players and their youth football coaches.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Academy partnering with Shadowman Sports should help youth football continue to flourish and grow by getting participation numbers back up in what players, parents, and others will come to realize can be a safe, fun game. It will also work to improve the quality of the game, because as Flanagan said, “you can’t spell fundamentals without fun.” 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) breaks up a pass intended for Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 27-18.

Amazon Shatters Previous Ratings High for 1st NFL Game

“TNF” viewership surges 35% compared to the 2024 season average.

Trump Push to End Quarterly Earnings Has Major Sports Ramifications

U.S. President Trump proposes moving to semi-annual reporting for public companies.
Joe Burrow

Joe Burrow Out for Months After Bengals’ Pricey Offseason

Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase are the highest-paid WR duo in NFL history.

Tush Push Debate Heats Up in Eagles Win, Ex-NFL Rules Chief Sounds..

The Eagles are continuing to run the quarterback-sneak play.

Featured Today

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.

UFC’s Vegas Sphere Fight Should Set Records

The MMA fight has big aspirations and a budget to match.
August 13, 2024

Duael’s One-On-One Racing Brackets Are Yet Another Stab at Saving Track

Duael will debut in March 2025 with the inaugural Duael 100.
September 8, 2024

Guardian Caps Make NFL Debut

Multiple NFL players wore Guardian Caps over their helmets Sunday.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
August 11, 2024

Guardian Caps Have Arrived in the NFL—Ahead of Schedule

Colts star Jonathan Taylor strapped one on for Sunday’s preseason game.
August 5, 2024

How Omega Timing Determined Noah Lyles Won Olympic Gold

Omega touches every corner of the Olympics.
The Adidas ball has changed over the years.
July 25, 2023

The Most Advanced Tech at the Women’s World Cup Might Surprise You

This year’s OCEAUNZ introduces connected ball technology to the women’s game.
Sponsored

Rewriting the Sports Media Playbook

WSC’s highlight automation improved Clemson’s content strategy and overall growth.