Patriots Alum Logan Mankins joins Stu Miniman (@stu) live at VTUG Winter Warmer at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA #VTUG #theCUBE https://siliconangle.com/2018/02/08/whats-new-england-patriot-alum-virtualization-tech-event-vtug/ What’s this New England Patriot alum doing at a virtualization tech event? Some user group meetings are about cloud technology. Some cover meaty topics like cybersecurity and the hyperconverged infrastructure. Then there is the Virtualization Technology User Group’s January gathering where speakers talk about all of the above and one other subject — the New England Patriots. Held in the Patriot’s home — Gillette Stadium — VTUG offered attendees an opportunity to hear about the latest virtualization trends and rub broad shoulders with former Patriots players. One former National Football League lineman remembered what it was like to play for a team that has won multiple championships over the better part of the past two decades. “It’s been unbelievable to see what those guys have accomplished,” said Logan Mankins (pictured), former offensive lineman who played nine seasons for the Patriots. “It all starts at the top. You have a good owner, the best coach ever, and the best quarterback ever.” Mankins paid a visit to the set of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile livestreaming studio, during the VTUG Winter Warmer event in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and spoke with host Stu Miniman (@stu). They discussed Mankins’ career, his experience with the Patriots and player concerns surrounding concussions. Mankins earned numerous honors during his 11-year pro football career, including being named to the Pro Bowl seven times. He joined the Patriots after being selected in the 2005 draft, following back-to-back Super Bowl wins by his new employer. Ironically, he was traded in 2014 before the Patriots would claim the title again. Using tech for head health As an offensive guard, Mankins had what may well have been the most important job in all of sports: protecting future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. “You know he’s always prepared; you never have to worry about him,” Mankins said. “Just the way he competes and works, it rubs off on other guys. He’s the ultimate teammate and the ultimate competitor.” The NFL has been plagued in recent years with issues surrounding the risk of permanent brain damage to the men who play a violent sport at its highest level. Data released by the league just last month showed that NFL players experienced more concussions in 2017 than in each of the previous five years. “The more you learn about it, the more you worry about it,” Mankins admitted. “You hope you’re one of the guys it’s not going to affect, but there are guys it’s really affecting in bad ways.” To deal with rising concern over concussions in football, the NFL has taken a number of steps that includes the adoption of new technology. The league just announced funding for three concussion and injury tech startups, including Curv.ai, which employs augmented reality on a mobile platform to assess player injury risk. Another example is the use of the Concussionometer, supplied by HeadSafeIP Pty Ltd, to provide more accurate diagnosis after impact. The player wears what looks like sleek science fiction glasses, which can detect abnormal brain activity by flashing lights into a player’s eyes. Information is then relayed to a smartphone app for evaluation. Former NFL players are also promoting the adoption of robotic tackling dummies at the youth sports level as a way to lessen the likelihood of concussion problems. The Mobile Virtual Player is a remote controlled, padded device designed to eliminate the need for teammates to tackle each other during drills. “The techniques that they’re teaching now, with the blocking and the tackling, and not use your head as much, it’s a lot safer now,” Mankins said. The use of technology also extends beyond player safety as many NFL teams have adopted new methods for strengthening fan engagement and improving the game experience. Digital transformation has affected many industries, and the NFL has turned into a data-gathering machine. ... Accenture PLC has been involved in providing technology for the new venue, and one of its top executives, John Walsh, has hinted that innovations will push the fan experience to a whole different level. Watch the complete video segment with Accenture’s John Walsh below: