Elbow injuries are not usually seen as a huge concern for football players. Knees, ribs and the lower back usually get all the attention.

-by Steve Morris, Personal Trainer for Football Players

Knees, ribs and the lower back usually get all the attention.

However, elbow injuries are becoming more and more common, especially as more college and high school teams are playing on artificial turf, which can be a very hard surface. Plus, and this may seem odd to the non-football player, many times while blocking, you can take a hit to the elbow by the opposing tackler or even your own team mate. Unprotected bone vs. a hard helmet is not a fight you want to be in!

McDavid offers a protective elbow sleeve that stays on and helps keep the elbow out of harm’s way.

The sleeve is a Thermal neoprene sleeve is covered with knit nylon on inner surface and rubber on the outer surface. It runs 12” long and has premium taped and darted seams for maximum flexibility.

The McDavid sleeve is favored over some of the flashier brands because it actually stays in place. A few adjustments are needed, but as anyone who plays football knows, hardly any piece of equipment says in place 100% of the time. However, the McDavid Protective Sleeve is about 90%.

Personally, I like the sleeves because, when you have large upper arms, the other brands tend to slide down constantly. This is both annoying and dangerous.

The only major flaw the McDavid Sleeve has is that it doesn’t “breathe” well.

This is a plus in the cold months but during football training camp and in the early season, this can be a problem. This is typical of the neoprene material. My suggestion would be to roll the sleeves down anytime you are on the sidelines. This alone will help cool your core temperature and help you avoid cramping.