New Rawlings NRG Quantum Plus™ Earns 5-Star Rating

ST. LOUIS, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Headlined by the highest-possible "Best Available" 5-Star rank for its new Rawlings NRG Quantum Plus football helmet, Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc., a subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH), received 4- and 5-Star ratings for all three of its adult-sized football helmets.  These ratings were included in the latest Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings™ announced today by Dr. Stefan Duma, professor of biomedical engineering and head of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120501/CG98358)

In addition to the 5-Star rated NRG Quantum Plus, Rawlings' NRG Quantum™ and new NRG Impulse™ football helmets received 4-Star ratings, or a classification of "Very Good" based on this year's study.  The complete ratings are publicly available online at http://www.sbes.vt.edu/nid.

This marks the first year any Rawlings football helmet was tested and rated as Rawlings' re-entry into the marketplace occurred after Virginia Tech's first ratings release in May 2011.

"We recommend any of the 4- or 5-Star helmets for players," Dr. Duma said in his study's release.  "This is a perfect example of a National Institutes of Health-funded project resulting in translational research."

Only adult-size football helmets available at retail were assessed using the STAR (Summation of Tests for the Analysis of Risk) evaluation system, developed by Dr. Duma.  To date, a total of 15 adult football helmet models have been evaluated, using more than 2,000 laboratory tests.

According to the Virginia Tech release, "the process used for evaluating the head protector involves performing 120 impacts on each helmet model at multiple locations and impact energies."  Each helmet's assessment is then compared to data collected from more than 1.8 million head impacts experiences by football players in an 8-year span.

"As an industry leader, Rawlings appreciates Dr. Duma's and Virginia Tech's efforts on measuring helmet performance," said Art Chou, Rawlings' senior vice president of product development.  "We are constantly working to improve our helmet performance, and we appreciate all approaches that make these improvements easier for consumers to understand."

The recently-introduced NRG Quantum Plus builds on the technologies introduced when the NRG Quantum entered the market last summer.  With a larger offset design, the NRG Quantum Plus increases Rawlings' proprietary C3™ custom-fit cushioning technology in high-impact areas throughout the helmet – while maintaining the same lightweight AIA™ impact absorption and Heat Exchange™ air flow technology systems.

Based on consumer and marketplace feedback, Rawlings updated the 4-Star rated NRG Quantum adult-sized helmet to lower the overall weight of the helmet by 10 percent.  The popular NRG Quantum football helmet design features a protection system to dissipate impact force to the skull without structural breakdown to the lightweight absorption system.

"It is encouraging to see this positive shift toward better head protection," said Steven Rowson, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Virginia Tech, and lead developer of the STAR evaluation system and the helmet tests.

A pair of 1,000-yard rushers, St. Louis' Steven Jackson and Houston's Arian Foster, led an elite group of professional players who chose to wear the Rawlings NRG Quantum football helmet last season, including all-pro wide receiver Andre Johnson and 2010 Defensive Rookie of the Year, Brian Cushing.

"NFL players reacted favorably to our helmet introduction last year," said David Hill, Rawlings' vice president of product development for fall sports.  "Players were drawn to our helmet by its design, comfort and fit.  Now, with the performance validation we have seen with the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings, we anticipate greater acceptance and use of our helmet at the highest level of the game."

The results from Virginia Tech's STAR testing protocol affirm Rawlings' long-lasting heritage of innovation in athlete protection, beginning with the first football shoulder pad built in 1902.  Last month, Rawlings introduced its new S100 Pro Comp batting helmet for Major League Baseball®, providing technologically-enhanced protection at speeds up to 100 miles per hour.  Rawlings is the Official Batting Helmet and Ball Supplier of Major League Baseball.

For more information about Rawlings' line of highly-rated football helmets and the protective and high-performance technologies built into the design, please visit www.RawlingsFootball.com. 

About Rawlings
Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of sporting goods in the United States.  Founded in 1887, Rawlings is the authentic global sports brand, trusted by generations of athletes, with products and services that enable them to perform at their highest level.  With an assortment of baseball, basketball, football and softball game-related product lines, Rawlings is present everywhere team sports are played.  Leagues and conferences of all skill levels integrate Rawlings' unparalleled product portfolio into their sports: as the Official Batting Helmet and Ball Supplier of Major League Baseball®, the official baseball for the NCAA®, the official football for the NAIA®, the official basketball for the NAIA, NJCAA® and AAU®, and the approved baseball, basketball, football and softball of the National High School Federation®.  For more information, please visit www.rawlings.com or by phone at (314) 819-2800.

About Jarden Corporation
Jarden Corporation is a leading provider of a diverse range of consumer products with a portfolio of over 100 trusted, quality brands sold globally.  Jarden operates in three primary business segments through a number of well recognized brands, including: Outdoor Solutions: Abu Garcia®, Aero®, Berkley®, Campingaz® and Coleman®, ExOfficio®, Fenwick®, Gulp!®, K2®, Marker®, Marmot®, Mitchell®, Penn®, Rawlings®, Shakespeare®, Stearns®, Stren®, Trilene®, Volkl® and Zoot®; Consumer Solutions: Bionaire®, Crock-Pot®, FoodSaver®, Health o meter®, Holmes®, Mr. Coffee®, Oster®, Patton®, Rival®, Seal-a-Meal®, Sunbeam®, VillaWare® and White Mountain®; and Branded Consumables: Ball®, Bee®, Bernardin®, Bicycle®, Billy Boy®, Crawford®, Diamond®, Dicon®, Fiona®, First Alert®, First Essentials®, Hoyle®, Kerr®, Lehigh®,  Lillo®, Loew Cornell®, Mapa®, NUK®, Pine Mountain®, Quickie®, Spontex® and Tigex®.  Headquartered in Rye, N.Y., Jarden ranks #379 on the Fortune 500 and has over 23,000 employees worldwide.  For in-depth information about Jarden, please visit www.jarden.com.

SOURCE Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc.

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