DENVER (KDVR) It’s age-old advice, “wear your helmet.”

It is always important to protect one of the most crucial parts of the body and thanks to the Denver Broncos, every high school tackle football program in Colorado will not have to worry about being without helmets.

The Broncos have partnered with Riddell, a football equipment company, and the Colorado High School Activities Association to supply more than 15,000 brand-new Riddell Axiom helmets to high school football players around the state.

The Broncos will be putting forth the largest philanthropic investment in the franchise’s history, according to a press release from the organization. The helmets will be distributed through a program called “ALL IN. ALL COVERED.”

The program will run from 2025 to 2028.

The current 277 high school tackle football teams will receive 25% of the total donated helmets each year. No matter the school size, according to the release, the program will cover teams whether it’s 5A or 6-man football programs.

“The Denver Broncos Foundation is proud to launch ALL IN. ALL COVERED., a game-changing program designed to have a lasting impact on Colorado youth for years to come,” Broncos Owner and Foundation Board Chair Carrie Walton Penner said in the release.

The idea was developed at a Broncos board meeting in August of last year. The members of the meeting said they wanted to reduce barriers and increase participation in the sport, all while improving the safety and health of the players.

“We know that the helmet is the single most expensive piece of individual equipment required to play tackle football,” Bronco’s VP of Community Impact, Allie Engelken said. “That’s a barrier for schools that don’t have access to funds. It’s a barrier for individual athletes who don’t have an opportunity for their parents to purchase one for them. So if we can make the game safer and also remove barriers so that more kids can play, it allows us to further our mission to make a positive impact statewide.”

Two organizations who know all about the dangers of head injuries, Children’s Health Colorado and CommonSpirit Health alongside foundation partner, Ent Credit Union, are supporting the program.

“After helping Colorado sanction girls high school flag football in 2024, we view this legacy initiative as an opportunity to further invest in future generations by creating equitable access to the sport,” Broncos President and Foundation Board President Damani Leech said.

Helmets will be supplied to schools in May so they can be used in the 2025 fall football season.

“This initiative will have a lasting positive impact on high school football programs and athletes across Colorado for years to come,” CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger said.

Riddell Axiom helmets

The new helmets the students will receive will be made just for them. The Broncos said this model was chosen for its safety and performance features.

Each helmet will use a 3D imaging system to scan the player’s head and create the perfect fit to maximize comfort and performance. The helmets will also be fitted with “InSite Smart Helmet Technology” which can track impacts and create reports from them.

“It’s the gold standard helmet,” said Krueger. “So you get that piece with the athlete health, wellness. But the insight technology and advancements there that come with it to measure contact points and contact levels. That’s a teaching tool for coaches. They can take that information, go back to their practices and say, how can we be better at coaching this technique or this type of, you know, making sure we’re getting our heads up when we tackle our body positions correct? That’s information that is hard to come by.”

The technology will be paired with a four-year subscription to the InSite Analytics service and a Riddell Sideline Device. This will record impacts that can be viewed by coaches and staff to analyze how the athletes are hitting and help them reform their technique to minimize head exposure and increase safety.

The helmets also feature flex panels, new face mask styles that increase the field of view and an integrated visor and Cam-Loc chin strap that can be adjusted and will lock in the student’s head securely.

Maintenance pieces like extra visors and face masks will be provided to the schools as well.

In February, representatives from Riddell will begin the “ALL IN. ALL COVERED. Blitz.” They will travel to every one of the receiving schools in the state and create custom fittings for each athlete.

The program will offer additional educational opportunities for athletes, coaches, administrators and parents. More information on the program can be found on the ALL IN. ALL COVERED. website.