‘It’s been a lot more efficient’: Penn State coaches, players share reaction to in-helmet communication

College football teams’ spring games are typically defined by motifs relating to new things, whether it’s new players, coaching staffs, stadiums, etc. One of this year’s new things came in the form of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki’s voice buzzing through a tiny speaker in the helmet of his quarterbacks — and its volume was a bit jarring.

“It’s a little loud. But it makes sense. We’re gonna be in loud stadiums this year,” Beau Pribula joked at Penn State’s local media day Saturday. “But it was a little weird at first having somebody right in your ear. But I’m used to it now.”

In April, the NCAA approved a pair of technology-related rule changes, allowing one on-field player to have a direct line of communication from coaches and allowing the use of up to 18 tablets on the sideline for game film. The new helmet communication, which adopts a system that had been in the NFL since 1994, will shut off with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock before each snap.

And, if you’re sitting in Beaver Stadium this fall wondering who has those voices blaring through their helmet, just look for a little green dot on the back side of a player’s head gear. Penn State will have Drew Allar and Beau Pribula wear them on offense, while defensive coordinator Tom Allen said his middle linebackers have been wearing it to this point.

But that could change depending on the situation.

“It makes a lot more sense. It makes sense that the NFL had it and now college football can do it. Doesn’t allow teams to steal anything that we’re doing, lets us get it directly in our helmet and into the huddle,” Pribula said. “The operation has been a little bit of a speed bump since the spring, but, now that we’ve done it before, it’s been really smooth, and it’s been a lot more efficient.”

Here are the reactions and takeaways from Nittany Lions who have used the technology over the past few months:

Some quotes have been lightly edited for clarity.

Andy Kotelnicki, offensive coordinator

“I’d be curious if anybody across the country on offense has someone other than the quarterbacks wearing them.

“It’s been awesome. It’s good to be able to have a direct line of communication to him and understand the little, minute coaching points that you might make before a play. I think the challenge is, as coaches, that you’re not giving too much, not talking too much to the quarterback.

“You’re giving them the play that we’re going to run and why we’re going to run it, and then trusting that we’ve trained in the right way through the months and weeks that we get to prepare. So it’s been awesome. It’s really good.

“We spend a lot less time worrying about how I communicate with the press box and sidelines and field. It’s a very direct line. Obviously, you still need to have backups, you need things of that nature if that communication breaks down. The NFL has been doing it for a long time, so we spent a lot of time talking to people who’ve done it there and quarterbacks at that level and their experience. So it’s been cool. I like it.”

Tom Allen, defensive coordinator

“It’s different. I carry the radio around and get the call to the Mike linebacker.

“It’s an adjustment, but I think it’s another step in the direction of allowing us to maximize technology. I think that the bigger game day adjustment is probably gonna be the iPads on the sideline, but I think the green dot and how we utilize it, it’s gonna be a lot.

“It’s gonna depend on the offensive style and tempo, what they choose to do with the green dot. Are they huddling? Are they not? We’ll use different mechanisms to maximize things. So we’re in the process right now to be able to have multiple ways of getting our calls in to the defense, but the green dot is a constant with our guys. So even when you’re playing and practicing on different fields, different guys you’re trying to get reps with, you’re trying to go through and maximize that process.

“It’s kind of a fascinating thing for me. I’ve not called a defense with the helmet communication, being a college and high school coach my whole career. It’s new for me, as well. There’s a lot of conversations with NFL guys I know, NFL players that I’ve coached in college that now wear it in the NFL and how they can maximize it. What they want to hear, what they don’t want to hear, how it can really help them the most.

“It’s been a good learning process for me throughout the spring, over the summer now into two days of camp. I think it’s gonna be an asset to us. I think it’s gonna allow us to really be more efficient in what we’re doing and be able to help our linebackers by giving them a couple keys before the microphone shuts off.”

Tyler Elsdon, linebacker

“We’re just working out the kinks with it, learning ways to communicate and then being able to use it effectively on the field. It’s definitely gonna be a learning process, but we’re putting some time into it.

“I’ve been playing football for a long time, and I’m just trying to picture myself as a kid looking (forward) and understanding the microphone in the helmet, it seems so futuristic to me. Obviously, we’re in the 21st century and technology is such a big thing, but I would have never guessed I’d have a microphone or someone talking in my ear on a football field. It definitely takes some getting used to. There’s been a few times that I wasn’t expecting a voice and it kind of startles me a little bit, but it’s been a pretty good experience so far.”