philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Virtual training could be NFL preparation’s sea change

In the next year or two, an NFL quarterback will step onto the practice field, put on a headset and run through the game plan against a holographic defense that looks, moves and thinks like the upcoming opponent.

At least that's the prediction of Brendan Reilly, the 28-year-old CEO of Eon Sports and a relative football novice who spent most of a year touring the country to show coaches beta versions of his virtual reality software and ask: How do we make this better?

"They all know how to make (players) bigger, faster, stronger," Reilly told USA TODAY Sports recently, sitting in the cramped room inside a shared office space that serves as company headquarters. "It's, how do we take that next leap in understanding? How do we apply fighter pilot training to quarterbacks?

Others are looking to enter the football space, too. Los Angeles-based augmented reality developer Daqri enlisted the help of former NFL punter and noted tech geek Chris Kluwe to get a conference call with the NFL about its Smart Helmet, which was built for the industrial workplace but has a sensor package the company says could be applied to training and practice quickly.

For instance, Reilly said, Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly wanted his offensive linemen to be able to see and process the game from a three-point stance. So developers integrated various types of motion tracking to follow head movement. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton wanted an improved field of vision, because turning his head in a real game would tip the defense.

See the full story here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2014/12/12/virtual-training-reality-practice-eon-sports-brendan-reilly/20284053/