Patriots' Jared Wilson Gives Back, Prioritizes Safety at High School
For New England Patriots center Jared Wilson, giving back to his local community is a priority. Part of that is making the sport of football a safer place for everyone.
Wilson recently donated Guardian Caps to his high school alma mater of West Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia. The lineman, entering his second year with the Patriots, wore his own Guardian Cap during the back-half of his rookie year and later in Super Bowl LX.
Guardian Caps are the leading, impact reducing soft-shell helmet cover - engineered in mind for impact reduction. They were created in 2010 to address the need for necessary advancements to the standard helmet. Across the board, the NFL has adopted these during practices. Some players, like Wilson, can choose to wear it during games.
According to the NFL, the Guardian Cap has played a part in reducing concussions by 52%. Clearly, these numbers were important to Wilson. In a video provided, West Forsyth High School were simply ecstatic to meet Wilson and be gifted Guardian Caps of their owns for their own season.
Guardian Cap Shares Insight Into Jared Wilson Charitable Efforts
Guardian Sports owner and CEO Erin Hanson told Patriots On SI that Wilson's efforts with her company have greatly led to improvements in player safety sport-wide.
"[We are] unbelievably grateful [for Jared Wilson]," Hanson said, "We started out with a heart for the young, developing brains, but the reality is, the little guys aren't going to do anything until they see their heroes doing it. So, to see him wear a cap in the Super Bowl just blew us away. I mean, that is a brave step for somebody who's trying to look as tough as they possibly can, and to say, 'Hey, I'm tough. But I also care about my long term health.'"
SOURCE - Jared Wilson has personally donated Guardian Caps to his high school alma mater, West Forsyth High School.
- Jennifer Streeter (@JennyStreeter3) April 29, 2026
Here is a picture and video of the event that was provided to me.#NEPats | @AllPatsTalk | #NFLpic.twitter.com/knEuA9v3Uc
During his high school years, Wilson helped lead West Forsyth High School to an 11-2 record his junior year and was named an All-Central Piedmont Conference and AP All-State team. Wilson paved the way prior to his collegiate and professional years for a rushing attack of 3,000 yards and 42 touchdowns with West Forsyth.
He later attended college football at Georgia before drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Hanson said that the level of excitement on display from West Forsyth is just proof of the growth of mentality surrounding a prioritization of head health by football players.
"To see how excited the players were ... This is changing player behavior," Hanson said. "To see those players jumping up and down and screaming and being excited about it, that's the effect of having guys like Jared step up to the plate and show them that it's okay [to prioritize head health] ... He said the most meaningful to thing would be to donate to his high school."
Now entering his second season with New England, Wilson has a chance to become a big player on the field. Off the field, it's likely his efforts in goving back will continue. For communities such as West Forsyth, it shows that he's willing to help places that helped him along the way.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots' Jared Wilson Gives Back, Prioritizes Safety at High School.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 4:00 AM.