Ryan Coleman-Williams often stands out on the football field for the Alabama Crimson Tide because of his immense talent.
On Saturday against LSU, the star wide receiver is standing out for a different reason — the helmet he has on the top of his head is massive.
There’s more nuance to it than that, and we’ll break it down here, but it’s impossible to miss.
Coleman-Williams has a bigger covering on top of his head than any of his Alabama teammates against LSU.
Why is Ryan Coleman-Williams Wearing a Different Helmet?
Coleman-Williams isn’t actually wearing a different helmet. It’s a covering over his helmet.
That’s called a Guardian Cap.
It’s a soft-shell covering that goes over the traditional helmet. So Coleman-Williams puts on his helmet just like all his teammates, then gets that covering put over it.
The idea is to reduce the impact of collisions to the head.
Guardian Caps have come into vogue in the last five years or so. A couple dozen NFL players began wearing them within the past two seasons for regular season games. Many teams practice with them across the board.
Coleman-Williams hadn’t worn a Guardian Cap until Saturday.
Ryan Coleman-Williams Injury
Coleman-Williams missed the last two Alabama games due to injury.
While college teams are less revealing when it comes to injuries compared to teams in the NFL, the Guardian Cap gives a pretty obvious hint that Coleman-Williams must’ve been out with a head injury.
Some players take a proactive approach to the Guardian Cap. Others wear it when they return from some sort of concussion.
The NFL’s first prominent skill player adopter of the look, Romeo Doubs, didn’t wear one until he missed time with a concussion. Former Ohio State star Chris Olave, now with the New Orleans Saints, only started wearing a Guardian Cap this season after a career filled with head injuries — including one that made him consider retirement.
Based on the trend in the NFL, it seems Coleman-Williams is making a potentially prudent move. It might look bulky, but it serves a purpose.
Ryan Coleman-Williams’ Guardian Cap
Maybe the most amusing part of the look is that Alabama has made sure it matches their helmet as closely as they can.
It’s the same crimson color, but even more notably, it still has Coleman-Williams’ No. 1 on the side of the helmet, just like it would if he didn’t have the Guardian Cap on.
It’s not a given Coleman-Williams goes with this look the rest of the season, but as long as it doesn’t feel too uncomfortable on Saturday, it’s safe to expect it to continue as he seeks to keep his head safer.
Why Ryan Coleman-Williams Has A Bigger Helmet For Alabama