NFL’s Troy Vincent: Zebra Technologies Provides the Data Engine for Football

Troy Vincent is a huge believer in the impact Zebra’s radio frequency identification (RFID) technology can have on the game of football. As a top executive for the National Football League (NFL), he has witnessed the tremendous improvements in training and game-day experiences for everyone from players and coaches to referees, broadcasters and fans. Practice strategies and nutrition plans have been optimized. Player protection mechanisms have been refined. And everyone can see how well players and teams are performing in a very granular way.

As a former NFL player himself, Troy appreciates the nuanced insights offered by Next Gen Stats. The dozens of metrics that appear on analytics dashboards in media booths and NFL clubs’ back offices alike have provided an unprecedented understanding of why certain things are – or aren’t – happening on each snap. They are also proving critical to injury prevention and management efforts. In fact, Troy believes that his playing experience may have been extended if he had visibility into his actual workload earlier in his career. Together with coaches, he could have better balanced output in practice to preserve his body.

These aren’t the only benefits of embedding nickel-sized RFID chips in footballs and players’ padding, though. Listen to this 20-minute podcast episode now to learn more about what’s driving Troy’s extreme enthusiasm for player tracking technology:

Troy also gives us the scoop on:

• what makes his role as EVP of Football Operations for the NFL unique from other executive positions.
• why he wanted to work in the NFL’s front office after his award-winning 15-year professional football career.
• the ways in which he envisions tracking technology being used by the NFL in the future.
• his passion for philanthropy and commitment to improving the educational opportunities for youth in communities around the U.S.