The NFL season is back and NFL teams across the country are prepping their players for battle. Professional players subject their bodies to extreme mechanical forces—from high-velocity impact collisions in the open field to relentless hand-to-hand combat along the line of scrimmage.
For high school and collegiate athletic trainers (ATCs), team orthopedic surgeons, and parents navigating high-impact youth sports, managing these severe physical demands remains a constant challenge. Off-the-shelf braces often present a trade-off: bulky padding restricts mobility and tactile feel, while lightweight options fail to protect against recurrent injuries like AC separations, clavicle fractures, thumb injuries, or thigh contusions.
At PROTECT3D, we eliminate that compromise. By combining fast, mobile 3D scanning with advanced additive manufacturing, we build custom protective devices structured precisely around a person’s unique anatomy. As a new NFL season begins, three elite league veterans demonstrate how targeted, anatomically precise protection keeps them playing at their peak.
Laken Tomlinson: Uncompromising Protection for the Trenches
Offensive linemen face brutal contact on every snap. Constantly engaging defensive fronts puts immense strain on the thumbs, fingers, and wrists, making hyperextension injuries, ligament tears, and chronic joint wear common risks. Standard tape jobs loosen within minutes, while traditional rigid braces hinder mobility.
To maintain his leverage on the line without compromising joint protection, NFL Offensive Lineman Laken Tomlinson turns to PROTECT3D products:
By digitizing the hand via a 30-second iPhone scan, PROTECT3D designs low-profile, high-impact resistant thumb guards and dynamic wrist braces that slide under standard football gloves. This anatomically accurate, custom fit preserves joint alignment under heavy loads while giving linemen the confidence to compete fearlessly down after down.
Daniel Jones: High-Impact Protection Without Sacrificing Mobility
Quarterbacks must balance maximum torso and limb mobility with adequate protection against full-force hits. Dealing with acute conditions like clavicle, fibula, or rib fractures, sternum trauma, or an AC separation can severely compromise throwing mechanics or keep a player on the sideline entirely.
NFL Quarterback Daniel Jones trusts PROTECT3D custom-contusion padding to absorb impact energy while preserving throwing mechanics:
Traditional bulky padding distributes force across broad areas, often shifting out of position or limiting shoulder mobility. PROTECT3D AC, Clavicle, Rib, and other contusion pads are precisely designed to unload injured areas and direct forces onto surrounding, healthy musculoskeletal tissue without adding unnecessary bulk.
Noah Gray: Tactile Precision for Catching and Blocking
Tight ends operate in a dynamic role—blocking heavy defensive ends on one play, then sprinting up the seam to secure a contested catch on the next. Protecting vulnerable digits against severe MCP joint sprains, thumb hyper-extensions, or UCL injuries requires a device that doesn’t compromise ball feel.
NFL Tight End Noah Gray relies on custom PROTECT3D Thumb Guards to stay protected while maintaining precise ball feel:
Whether managing a chronic thumb injury or guarding against soft tissue trauma, players can maintain full ball control because our custom-fit products are designed to maximize support and protection without sacrificing function.
The PROTECT3D Product Suite: Elite Protection for Every Level
The same 3D technology deployed in NFL locker rooms is available to high school programs, collegiate sports medicine departments, and private orthopedic clinics. Our targeted custom product portfolio addresses critical athletic injuries and chronic clinical conditions:
Impact Pads (Torso & Shoulder Protection)
- AC Pads, Clavicle Pads, Rib Pads, Sternum Pads & SC Joint Pads: Low-profile, custom contusion pads built to shield AC separations, collarbone and rib fractures, and sternoclavicular trauma. Precisely designed to transfer direct impact forces safely away from the injured area without limiting player mobility.
Upper Extremity (Hand, Wrist, & Arm Protection)
- Thumb Guards & Hand/Finger Splints: Ultra-low-profile hand, finger, and thumb protection engineered to fit directly beneath standard football gloves. Built to defend against MCP joint sprains, UCL/RCL tears, and hyperextensions while preserving tactile feel and grip function.
- Gameplay Casts & Wrist Flexes: High-durability, custom casts and splints that replace traditional bulky tape jobs and plaster. Designed for athletes managing wrist fractures, scaphoid injuries, or severe sprains who need rigid protection or dynamic support to continue playing safely during competition.
Lower Extremity (Hip, Thigh, Foot, & Ankle Protection)
- Custom Foot Orthotics & AFOs: Latticed, 3D-printed foot orthotics and dynamic AFOs engineered for foot drop, PTTD, ankle instability, plantar fasciitis, and more—providing energy absorption and bio-mechanical support inside athletic footwear.
- Thigh Pads & Hip Pointer Pads: Custom-fabricated protective pads built around deep thigh contusions, quad hematomas, and iliac crest trauma. Designed to shield sensitive, bruised tissue from secondary impacts so athletes can sprint, cut, and tackle without hesitation.
- External Cleat and Midfoot Clamshells: Precision-molded protective shells designed to absorb localized impact force across the foot and stabilize the midfoot, safeguarding deep bone bruises and structural trauma outside or inside athletic footwear.
Craniomaxillofacial (Facial Protection)
- Nasal & Orbital Facemasks: Custom-contoured, high-impact facial guards tailored to protect broken noses, zygomatic arch fractures, orbital wall trauma, and other facial fractures. They are precisely designed to redistribute impact forces safely onto the surrounding healthy skeletal frame of the face while maintaining an unimpaired field of vision.
The 3-Step Workflow: Scan, Design, Print
Integrating PROTECT3D into a clinical setting or athletic training room requires no specialized hardware or messy plaster casting:
- Step One: 3D Scan–Digitize specific patient anatomy within seconds leveraging the PROTECT3D mobile app on your iPhone.
- Step Two: Custom Design–Our design team builds the product fit to the scan using a proprietary fabrication process built for accuracy.
- Step Three: 3D Print and Ship–In our FDA-certified facility based in Durham, North Carolina, the product is 3D printed then shipped directly to your athletic training facility, clinic, or door. Your custom 3D printed product is ready to wear right away, delivering comfort, accuracy, and freedom of movement in daily life.
Upgrade Your Athletic Care Standard
Traditional off-the-shelf bracing forces athletes to choose between safety and performance. By adopting anatomically precise protective devices, athletic trainers, team physicians, and parents can ensure their athletes return to play quickly, safely, and confidently.
Discover how PROTECT3D can elevate your sports medicine capabilities and keep your athletes competing without limits.
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