Riders’ RB Thomas Bertrand-Hudon becomes first CFL player to wear Guardian Cap in game

Photo courtesy: Matt Smith/SportsCage/Harvard Media

Saskatchewan Roughriders’ running back Thomas Bertrand-Hudon made pro football history on Friday night, becoming the first CFL player to wear a Guardian Cap in a game.

The native of Mont Saint-Hilaire, Que., who is in his second season with the Riders after being selected in the fourth round of the 2023 CFL Draft, wore the protective headgear for his team’s Week 11 loss to the Montreal Alouettes. He did not record a statistic in the game.

The CFL first mandated the use of Guardian Caps — a protective soft-shell helmet covering — for certain positions in 2023, witnessing a 43 percent drop in reported concussions. The league expanded its rules to allow their use in games this year but until the mid-way point in the season, no player had taken advantage of the increased protection.

The NFL, which began using the product in training camp in 2022, later followed suit in allowing their athletes to wear Guardian Caps in games this year. On Sunday, at least five members of the Indianapolis Colts, including star running back Jonathan Taylor, broke the barrier south of the border by donning the padding for a preseason game against the Denver Broncos.

It remains to be seen whether Bertrand-Hudon will inspire more CFL players to eschew aesthetics in favour of their cognitive health, but the Guardian Cap era of pro football has officially begun.