HELMETS

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Browns surprise two Northeast Ohio high schools with 170 new helmets

Campbell Memorial High School and Jefferson Area High School were given Riddell helmets before the Browns’ open practice

Aug 05, 2026 at 04:09 PM

Brian D'Aguanno

Staff Writer Intern

When Jefferson Area High School head coach Caleb Davis pulled out his team's helmets earlier this summer in preparation for the season, he was unsure of their condition. Some players on the team talked about saving up money to buy their own helmets.

"That hurts me as a coach but it's the reality of budgets," Davis said.

So, when the team was surprised with new helmets, seeing the players' reactions was indescribable for Davis, who now knows his players won't have to buy their own helmets.

On Aug. 1 at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus before the Browns' second open practice session, Jefferson Area High School and Campbell Memorial High School were each surprised with 85 new Riddell SF Echo helmets as part of the HELMETS program. The surprise helped kicked off Play Football Month, where the Browns celebrate and highlight youth and high school football teams, communities, programs and initiatives throughout the month of August.

The Cleveland Browns' HELMETS program, presented by Meijer and in association with University Hospitals, Enbridge Gas and Riddell aims to further advance player health and safety as part of the franchise's commitment to youth football development. Schools are nominated and entered into a sweepstakes, where winners are chosen each year. The HELMETS sweepstakes program has been around since 2017, distributing almost 4,000 helmets to teams across Northeast Ohio and the rest of the state.

"Through the Cleveland Browns, our commitment is simple," Vice President of Community Relations Jenner Tekancic said. "We want to bring our fans a winning football team, support our fans and invest continuously in the community. And we do that through our Browns Give Back focus areas, which are education, youth football and equitable opportunities."

The players on both teams were told they were invited to training camp and didn't know their schools won the sweepstakes. Both teams lined up in front of fan-filled bleachers while the ceremony started, thinking they were receiving a team-wide acknowledgement before the Browns' practice.

As the surprise was announced, though, smiles crept across the faces of the players as the realization set in. Some players hugged each while others stood in disbelief. The rows of new helmets were driven out on the back of golf carts while the Browns' P Corey Bojorquez, WR KC Concepcion, P Nik Constantinou and LS Rex Sunahara greeted the players amidst the celebration.

"This is a very special moment for us," Vice President of Supply Chain Operations at Riddell Drew Dixon said. "Our mission is to protect athletes, so being able to provide every player on both teams with our new SpeedFlex Echo helmets featuring the latest 3D liner technology is incredibly rewarding. These liners feature the same materials worn by Browns players on the field today, making it especially meaningful to bring NFL-level innovation to the high school game."

For the players at Campbell Memorial High School, winning the sweepstakes was a great surprise for a dedicated group of athletes. Some of the players on the team walk and bike to practice, but they continue to show up every day. Receiving the new helmets will benefit the team by promoting player safety, one of the key pillars of the Browns' youth football initiative.

"It's important for them to have nice, safe gear," Campbell Memorial head coach David Porch said. "And having these new helmets, they're clean, they're new, it's exciting. They'll go out there and play harder."

The HELMETS program showcases the Browns' dedication to investment in local youth and high school football. Helmets are one of the most important pieces of football equipment, and having new ones ensures high school players are safer when taking the field while providing athletes with equitable opportunities.

"Safety's important to us at Enbridge Gas," Enbridge Manager of Municipal and Stakeholder Engagement for the U.S. Kyle Miller, said. "So it's great to partner with the Browns to support safety for the youth football teams."

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A HELMETS Reveal for Jefferson Area and Campbell Memorial Schools on August 1, 2026 at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus.