Terry Lewis fell in love with the game of football at an early age. He played at every level—from PAL and Pop Warner to middle school, high school, and eventually a season of semi-professional football with the AFL Jacksonville Firebirds.
 
Throughout his playing career, Terry became all too familiar with concussions. Some were diagnosed, while many others went unnoticed. For years, concussions were considered a hidden part of football, largely because they were misunderstood and accepted as just another aspect of the game. Today, thanks to advances in medical science, we know that concussions are a serious issue that must be addressed at every level of the sport.
 
The Moment That Changed Everything
Terry vividly recalls a high school game in which he suffered a head-on collision with an opposing player.
"I stayed on the ground while the trainers came onto the field to help me. I stumbled to the sideline, where they sat me on the bench. I told them I was okay."
A few minutes later, when the defense returned to the field, Terry told the trainers he was ready to go back into the game. Before allowing him to return, a trainer asked him what the score was. Terry couldn't answer correctly.
He looked for his helmet so he could re-enter the game—but it was gone. The trainer had quietly taken it away to ensure he couldn't return to play.
The medical staff informed Terry that he had suffered a mild concussion, ending his night.
That experience stayed with him for years.

A Mission Born from Experience
High school football teaches discipline, teamwork, perseverance, and hard work. However, it can also be a dangerous sport.
That realization inspired Terry to create a football helmet unlike any other—one designed to significantly improve player safety.

The result is the Boss Helmet, an innovative football helmet created with one goal in mind: helping reduce the risk of serious concussions and making the game safer for athletes at every level.

Nine Years of Research, Development & Recognition
Over the past nine years, Terry has dedicated himself to researching, developing, testing, and refining the Boss Helmet to earn its place within the football equipment industry.
His journey has included:

• Participating multiple times in the NFL's Play Smart. Play Safe. Helmet Challenge.

• Winning Jacksonville's One Spark 2018 Inventor Life Spark Award.

• Appearing on multiple local television programs.

• Being named a Sweet Sixteen Inventor Finalist by the Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention in Gainesville, Florida.

• Being featured on the cover of the September 2019 issue of SUCCESS Magazine.

• Receiving an invitation to attend the 2019 Head Health Tech Challenge in Columbus, Ohio.
   

Recognized by the NFL
The NFL invited approximately 300 of the nation's top scientists, engineers, and inventors—selected from more than 7,000 applicants—to participate in the 2019 Head Health Tech Challenge.
The purpose of the event was to collaborate on solving one of football's greatest challenges: reducing concussions and improving player safety.
Terry was honored to be among those invited as the inventor of the Boss Helmet.
Why the Boss Helmet Matters

The mission behind the Boss Helmet is simple:
To help reduce the risk of serious concussions and, ultimately, save lives.
As both an inventor and former football player, Terry understands the physical risks athletes face every time they step onto the field. He is especially proud to have invented, patented, and brought the Boss Helmet to market. Knowing that approximately 70–75% of football players are African American gives him an even greater sense of responsibility and determination to create safer equipment for future generations.

Every improvement made to the Boss Helmet is driven by one purpose: protecting athletes so they can continue playing the game they love with greater confidence and safety.