VICIS Adds NFL Mom To Coalition

SEATTLE, Jan. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- VICIS (VYE-sis), a privately held company developing high-tech football helmets, has added Lisa Ertz to its Coalition of advisors. Mother of NFL tight end Zach Ertz, Lisa brings an essential perspective to the VICIS Coalition.

In addition to Zach, Lisa is the mother of three other athlete sons: Jackson, a current high school football player; Nicolas, who attends Cal-Berkeley and plays intramural sports; and Shane, whose college playing career was cut short by multiple concussions. Shane's first concussion occurred playing basketball. He suffered a second concussion playing football when he was knocked unconscious for five minutes after catching a pass. This second head injury ended Shane's promising football career.

As a parent who has dealt with head injuries, Lisa has a unique perspective on the risks and rewards of football. "I wouldn't say I love football, but I do love that my kids are passionate about it and I love the experiences and opportunities it's created for them," said Lisa. "Youth football is important for teaching kids to be accountable, be leaders, work as a team, follow through and accept and deal with defeat. Critical life lessons."

Lisa also takes on the role of president of the VICIS Foundation, a public charity dedicated to helping high schools and youth leagues of all socioeconomic levels gain access to the latest sports protective equipment. As president, Lisa will work with corporations, athlete foundations, and other organizations interested in making financial contributions, as well as lead the selection of deserving schools and youth programs that will benefit from foundation grants.

Lisa joins an illustrious group of individuals on the VICIS Coalition, including:

• 2 Super Bowl MVPs
• 3 Heisman Trophy winners
• 4 NFL Hall of Fame inductees
• winners of 19 Super Bowls
• 40 Pro Bowl appearances

The 18 members of the VICIS Coalition are:

• Richard Sherman, Pro Bowl NFL cornerback
• Jerry Rice, NFL Hall of Fame inductee
• Roger Staubach, NFL Hall of Fame inductee
• Doug Baldwin, NFL wide receiver
• Tony Dorsett, NFL Hall of Fame inductee
• Alex Smith, NFL Pro Bowl quarterback
• Tim Brown, NFL Hall of Fame inductee
• Nate Burleson, NFL broadcaster and former player
• Marques Colston, NFL wide receiver
• Lisa Ertz, NFL mom
• Billy Davis, NFL coach
• Bobby Wagner, NFL Pro Bowl linebacker
• Charles Davis, NFL broadcaster and former NCAA player
• Damon Huard, former NFL player 
• Mark May, NFL broadcaster and former player
• Mark Schlereth, NFL broadcaster and former player
• Tony Siragusa, NFL broadcaster and former player
• Carl Smith, NFL coach

The VICIS Coalition helps the company fulfill its mission to protect players at all levels of sport. Lisa states, "It's an honor to be involved with VICIS to make football safer, whether it's for my own children or my grandchildren."

The ZERO1 Helmet
The ZERO1 delivers multiple, long-overdue innovations in helmet design. The helmet's multiple layers are designed to work together to provide improved impact absorption and a comfortable, anatomically optimized fit. Unlike today's helmets that are limited by hard exterior shells, the outer shell of the ZERO1 yields upon impact like a car bumper. During a collision, the LODE Shell™ gives way then rapidly returns to form before the next impact. This dynamic process slows impact forces in milliseconds, and is invisible to the naked eye.

The ZERO1's unique columnar layer is designed to absorb impacts from any direction, allowing it to slow forces from straightforward collisions or glancing blows. The columnar geometry used in the RFLX™ Layer is based upon engineering principles first described in the 18^th century by Swiss physicist, Leonhard Euler. The ZERO1's columns have been specifically tuned to optimally respond to impact velocities observed in elite levels of football.

ABOUT VICIS
VICIS was created in 2013 to develop an improved football helmet. The company leverages technology initially developed at University of Washington. VICIS investors include several prominent spine and neurological surgeons, current and former NFL players, The Peregrine Group,  the W Fund, Alliance of Angels, angelMD, and Trilogy Equity Partners. VICIS founders are Per Reinhall, PhD, Professor and Chair of Mechanical Engineering at UW; Samuel Browd, MD, PhD, Pediatric Neurosurgeon and Medical Director of the Sports Concussion Program at Seattle Children's Hospital; and Dave Marver, CEO and veteran of the medical technology industry. Inquiries can be directed to [email protected]. For more information, visit www.vicis.co.

ABOUT THE VICIS FOUNDATION
VICIS Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to helping high schools and youth leagues gain access to the latest helmets, other sports protective equipment, and sports safety educational programs. The foundation strives to assure young people from all socioeconomic backgrounds have the opportunity to enjoy contact sports safely and reach their full potential as athletes and people.

MEDIA CONTACT
Ray Vincenzo
206 290 4431
[email protected]

SOURCE VICIS

Related Links

http://www.vicis.co/