Michael Sowers
#22 -- Philly Dawgs -- Attack
Why I Use JackalJaw:
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"When I was first introduced to the Jackal, it was during a field session back in the summer of 2021 when I was starting to ramp back up to get back into the game flow. I had done my research and understood everything Jackal could do from a prevention standpoint...as I was going through my agility work and my dodges... my helmet didn’t move. I noticed that my vision just felt better wearing the Jackal. Usually, when you’re shaking, when you’re moving, you get a little bit of that helmet wiggle. As a player, that can alter your vision but that day, my helmet was just locked in and I could see the whole field crystal clear. For me, it checked three boxes. First was the performance side of things. As a dodging attackman, I need to see the field. It helped me do so at a higher level. The second part is injury prevention. There’s no doubt I feel safer and know that I’m safer wearing the Jackal Jaw. The 3rd piece is comfortability. The first two are great, but if it doesn’t feel good on your chin, it’s hard to justify wearing it in a game. It was significantly more comfy than anything that I’ve worn in the past. That was a huge part, I can put it on and not even notice it’s there and know that I’m able to perform at a higher level and safer wearing it."
"When I was first introduced to the Jackal, it was during a field session back in the summer of 2021 when I was starting to ramp back up to get back into the game flow. I had done my research and understood everything Jackal could do from a prevention standpoint...as I was going through my agility work and my dodges... my helmet didn’t move. I noticed that my vision just felt better wearing the Jackal. Usually, when you’re shaking, when you’re moving, you get a little bit of that helmet wiggle. As a player, that can alter your vision but that day, my helmet was just locked in and I could see the whole field crystal clear. For me, it checked three boxes. First was the performance side of things. As a dodging attackman, I need to see the field. It helped me do so at a higher level. The second part is injury prevention. There’s no doubt I feel safer and know that I’m safer wearing the Jackal Jaw. The 3rd piece is comfortability. The first two are great, but if it doesn’t feel good on your chin, it’s hard to justify wearing it in a game. It was significantly more comfy than anything that I’ve worn in the past. That was a huge part, I can put it on and not even notice it’s there and know that I’m able to perform at a higher level and safer wearing it."
Bio:
- Hometown: Drescher, PA
- High School: Upper Dublin
- College: Princeton & Duke University
- Pro: Dawgs
- International: 2023 USA Men's Lacrosse Team Gold Medalist
Strengths:
Lightning COD, Deceptive Decision-Maker, O-Initiator, Pinpoint Accurate, Ambi-Dodger, Fearless.
Sowers' Crafts Together Vision, Agility, Pass%, Lo-TO%. Big Play Player with a Team Mentality. Indisputable 1/1.
Player Profile:
Team USA - Attack/Midfield '23
Pro Championship MVP '22
Pro Champion '22
Pro Runner-Up '23
Pro Post-Season Points Leader '23
2x - Pro All-Star '22, '23
2nd Overall Pro Draft Pick '21
2x - 1st Team All-American
3x - All Ivy League
Jackal Jaw Pro
(Cont'd Testimonial on Jackal Jaw from Sowers)
"I think the other piece for me as a dodger, especially when you’re rolling at X, you’re immediately taught to snap your head around...try to locate the open guy. Sometimes when you rip you’re head around, and snap, sometimes you’re seeing the corner of the helmet because as you whip your head fast, the helmet naturally moves…and I think that wearing the Jackal, when you snap that head coming out of a roll and you’re looking crease, through, the check down up front...you can see the entire field. For me, like I said, as an X-quarterback...that’s a huge part of the game -- being able to see the whole field at all times."
"The first thing you notice is just the texture and the material. When you put it on, I think it just feels right. The best compliment that I could give a piece of equipment is 'you don’t even notice it'... and I think that with the Jackal, that’s more than true. It just molds right to your chin, the helmet never moves....you almost don’t even notice that the helmet itself is there.”
“I needed to re-evaluate a lot of things that I was doing from prevention standpoint…to make sure that I was my best on the field, but more importantly, that I was available to play in games. A huge part of that was the chin strap and just making sure that with the modern helmets, it was always in place, and I was always going to be able to absorb and take a big hit. I think on top of that, just the protection on the jawline. Constantly, as a lacrosse player, you’re taking sticks up here or you’re taking a butt-end right across the jawline. They certainly ring your bell, you get up and you see stars a bit and I think putting on the Jackal and experiencing some of the same hits, in the same settings, you just feel better. You just feel like you have the confidence in your equipment to continue to play and you’re going to be safe doing so.”
“I started wearing Jackal right after I had my fifth concussion in 2021, which was probably my most severe. At that point, I had a few doctors tell me that was probably it for me. Five concussions, altered vision, some longer-term affects, some serious stuff, and I just felt like I knew deep down that I still had more to give to the game and I was going to do everything that I could at that point from an injury prevention standpoint to make sure that that never happened again… and if it did, that I was doing everything that I possibly could to prevent it…and for me, a huge part of that was protecting my jaw, and making sure that my helmet stayed properly in place…and that’s exactly what the Jackal gave me.”
“Typically with other piece of equipment, like gloves or elbow pads, there’s a substantial break-in period. I think one thing that was eye-opening for me when I put on the Jackal was there was no break-in period. I put it on and it essentially molded to my chin. I remember having the impression, ‘I don’t even have to buckle my chinstrap right now’ — the helmet is just locked into place and it feels like it’s just kind of formed around my chin and I think from a comfortability standpoint, it just felt right, you know. It just felt better than what I’ve been wearing in the past.”
“Wearing the Jackal, one, when you are shaking and you’re using your upper body, you’re sinking into dodges, and steps…the helmet is staying in place the entire time. You don’t get wiggle. And then coming out of that, when you’re immediately taught to snap your head up to find the open guy...you can clearly see the field. In the past, I’ve come out of those dodges and my helmet is over here…it’s all the way up here, and I think knowing and having the confidence that I’m going to be able to see the field when I get out of my dodge…is a huge part of me being an X-attackman and a primary dodger.”
“The other huge part is the ability to absorb contact and take contact...and not have to stop...and adjust any part of your equipment. As a dodger, even though I’m not the biggest guy, it’s essential to make contact at certain points on the field. Having the confidence, that when you do that, your helmet is not going to move or it’s not going to be altered, which is then going to alter your vision...and your ability to make a decision in a split second....and the confidence to be able to get across the front of the goal, I’m going to take a hit....and my helmets not going to move and I’m going to be able to pop right back up and stay in the play.....is a huge part of it.”
“It’s a huge piece of equipment regardless of position. You see players wearing it all over the field…an attackmen, midfielders, faceoff guys, defensemen and goalies and I think that’s because as a lacrosse player, you need to be able to do two things: Absorb & give contact and also move and see the field. The Jackal allows you to do both at an extremely high level.”
