The Truth About Concussions
For 15+ years, we've been protecting what helmets can't.
Our Mission: To Tell The Truth
Guardian Athletics is on a mission to protect players and their brains from concussions by adding support to the head and neck BEYOND the helmet.
The forces acting on the brain continue after direct impacts and are always present with indirect impacts, causing violent motion of the head and neck. That's why we tell you THE TRUTH behind the mechanism of injury responsible for Sport-Related Concussion (SRC).
Kato Collar works WITH THE HELMET to reduce the forces acting on the brain and neck initiated by both direct impacts AND indirect impacts, causing whiplash concussion.
Our Approach
EQUIPMENT
Helmets protect the skull from fractures and the brain from catastrophic injury. Kato Collar works in conjunction with a helmet and goes beyond to protect against sport related concussion.
TRAINING
There are programs, such as Heads Up, that educate players on safer tackling techniques. When the collar is integrated, these training practices solidify player safety.
INNOVATION
Rapid acceleration and deceleration of the head is a real threat to player safety, which is why we invented Kato Collar. We work hard to be an educational source for the football community.
15+ Years of Innovation
Meet Jeff Chambers
Jeff Chambers is the founder of Guardian Athletics and inventor of the Kato Collar, the first protective device beyond a helmet designed to help prevent sport-related concussions.
With over 40 years of experience as a Certified Athletic Trainer, including 16 years as Director of Athletic Health Care at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Jeff witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of concussions in football. He spent 31 years providing healthcare to football athletes at the college and university level, treating countless cases of sport-related concussions and studying the mechanisms behind them.
Jeff's extensive experience revealed a critical gap: helmets can only reduce forces upon impact, but the helmet and head continue moving afterward, creating additional forces inside the skull that cause concussions. This insight led him to develop the Kato Collar—a device that decelerates the helmet and head after impact, slowing down the forces affecting brain movement without restricting performance.
Since founding Guardian Athletics in 2017, Jeff has dedicated himself to educating the football community about the true mechanisms of concussion and providing athletes at every level—from youth to NFL—with protection during the critical 485ms window when 97% of brain injuries occur.
Credentials
- Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Completed Athletic Training Education Program
- Master's Degree in Physical Education, Sports Medicine Emphasis, University of Northern Colorado
- 40+ years as Certified Athletic Trainer
- 35+ years as Head Athletic Trainer
- 16 years as Director of Athletic Health Care
- 3 years in the UFL as an Athletic Trainer
Trusted by Athletes at Every Level
Ready to Protect Your Future?
Join the 1,000+ athletes who trust Kato Collar to protect them during the critical moments helmets can't.