[TriangleTree]

I wonder when those external helmet cushions that many players use in practice will become mandatory.

I really hope they're proven highly effective and that they become mandatory soon. 
It may be not a fully rational reaction given other risks we commonly face and accept, but I get the sense these stories like Hoffpauir's are all too frequent to make football an acceptable risk for non-professional athletes, let alone for an educational institution sponsored event.

[TriangleTree]

I wonder when those external helmet cushions that many players use in practice will become mandatory.

I really hope they're proven highly effective and that they become mandatory soon. 
It may be not a fully rational reaction given other risks we commonly face and accept, but I get the sense these stories like Hoffpauir's are all too frequent to make football an acceptable risk for non-professional athletes, let alone for an educational institution sponsored event.