Riders' Bertrand-Hudon makes history for being first to wear Guardian Cap in CFL game
Saskatchewan Roughriders’ running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon made history last Friday when he became the first player to wear a Guardian Cap in a Canadian Football League [CFL] game.
“I was at a position where a lot of guys got hurt before and I just wanted to think about my safety. So I basically talked to the equipment managing staff [before the game] and asked them if I could wear it,” he said.
A Guardian Cap is a helmet cover used for impact reduction and to prevent concussions.
The Canadian said the decision was based on where he was placed on the depth chart for that matchup and a previous injury he suffered in the position.
“I already had a concussion at the beginning of the year on kickoff actually. So they took me off [kickoff] for a little bit and it was my first game back at kickoff. So I just wanted to be safe,” he explained.
Bertrand-Hudon said he has experienced three concussions during his football career.
In 2023, the league mandated the Guardian Cap for certain positions to be worn at practice to help prevent concussions. Bertrand-Hudon said that helped with getting used to wearing it during the game.
“We practice with them every day. So it didn’t feel any heavier or anything like that. It felt the same actually,” he shared.
Even though he was the first pro player to wear one in the CFL, Bertrand-Hudon he said he did not draw it up that way in his head.
“I never had it in my head the fact that I’d be the first one. I was just thinking of my health in the decision. I mean, I guess I’m happy I’m the first one so hopefully I can encourage a lot of kids, especially when they are younger, to wear it maybe. Maybe [they can] make it mandatory up until the age of 10 or something like that,” he said.
Head coach Corey Mace said he hopes players who want to wear a Guardian Cap for safety do so.
“I would hope that is somebody felt like they wanted to wear it, they should have instead of waiting for somebody else to do it because it’s about safety. But if Thomas is the one who kind of opens the floodgates so to speak then, you know, good for him,” he said.
Bertrand-Hudon also shared that he has had other players reach out to him since wearing it.
“I had a couple of players all throughout the league that I know personally and they all asked me how it was and if it was a good idea to wear it. Hopefully they might also wear it,” he said.
However, not every player is for the idea of wearing them during the game.
“I’m a person who likes to focus on speed and quickness so having any extra weight on me doesn’t feel particularly great on game day so for Thomas that’s okay, for me maybe not. But to each their own,” said fellow running back, Frankie Hickson.
Bertrand-Hudon did admit that he is not sure he will wear it every game going forward.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7034620.1726094643!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
What passengers need to know about their rights ahead of a potential Air Canada pilots strike
While Air Canada has shared advice for travellers ahead of a possible pilots strike, an airline passenger rights advocate has more tips for Canadians who may be affected.
Consul general to New York to answer questions over $9M luxury condo purchase
After weeks of pressure, Canada's consul general Tom Clark will testify on Thursday before a House of Commons committee about the purchase of his new official residence in New York that generated a lot of political attention over the summer.
Taylor Swift wins big at MTV Video Music Awards, ties Beyonce's record and thanks Travis Kelce
Taylor Swift's dominance continued at the MTV Video Music Awards, where she took home seven awards — including the night's biggest, the trophy for video of the year.
'Buy nothing': PSAC wants federal workers to boycott downtown Ottawa businesses
A union representing federal employees is asking its members to bring their own lunch to work, in an apparent retaliation against downtown Ottawa businesses as new return-to-office protocols begin.
'Spot, squish, report': Officials urging vigilance as destructive species heads north
They have a propensity to proliferate and a fondness for grapes, and while the distinctive red and white-spotted lanternfly may look beautiful, officials are urging vigilance as the invasive species tracks north.
Actions speak louder: What experts are saying about the body language in the U.S. presidential debate
The highly anticipated debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was a heated matchup. Here's what experts who analyzed the exchange had to say.
Jon Bon Jovi helps talk woman down from ledge on Nashville bridge
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jon Bon Jovi and a video production assistant persuaded a woman standing on the ledge of a pedestrian bridge in Nashville to come back over the railing to safety.
Inside a Manitoba ghost town, a group of ladies works to keep it alive
Abandoned homes line the streets of Lauder, a town that's now a ghost of what it once was. Yet inside, a small community is thriving.
B.C. family says razor blades found in bag of frozen blueberries
The B.C. parents of an 11-year-old girl said their daughter recently found a package containing razor blades in a bag of Kirkland-brand frozen blueberries.