All NFL players and clubs will now have the ability to anonymously, and safely report any violations or player health concerns for the first time.
(Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC- July 29, 2021)- RealResponse (@RealResponseHQ), the leading safe and secure feedback, monitoring and anonymous reporting platform for athletic teams, organizations, and over 50,000 athletes, today announced an expansion of their agreement with the NFL Players Association. Last season, players used RealResponse to communicate COVID-19 health and safety questions and violations to the NFLPA; now, all players and clubs will have the ability to anonymously and securely report any and all issues with regard to player health and safety to the NFLPA in real time for everything from training camp issues, drug policy infractions, social injustice concerns, medical issues, COVID-19 policy violations, misconduct, hazing, harassment, and more as well as using the system to highlight successes and best practices which might go otherwise unnoticed. The NFLPA is the first professional organization to fully implement the RealResponse system, which was significantly enhanced and upgraded in 2020. The NFLPA joins USA Gymnastics and over 100 colleges and Universities as RealResponse partners.
“Health and safety remain the priority for all organizations, and our system will now give thousands of NFL players a safe and secure opportunity to voice concerns beyond only COVID-19 for any issues on and off the field,” said 31 year old David Chadwick, former Division I basketball player at Rice University and Valparaiso University and the founder of RealResponse. “We were proud to support the NFLPA last season amidst COVID-19, and today’s announcement is ample proof of last season’s success and that our system, working with the first movers who lead the NFLPA, will be a model not just for football, but for all athletic organizations as we expand, enhance, refine and customize our offering to meet the needs of athletes, organizations and colleges around the world.”
“The NFLPA is committed to providing players a confidential way to bring forward any issues or concerns that may require the union’s assistance, therefore we are excited to announce that we are expanding our use of RealResponse,” said Don Davis, Senior Director Player Affairs & Senior Advisor to the Executive Director at NFL Players Association. “The successful utilization of this platform in 2020, allowed players to bring forward any COVID-19 questions or violations. We believe this system will go a long way in addressing problems and letting all focus on the task at hand, which is being successful athletes, teammates and family members for decades to come.”
The program will begin with the start of training camp and will continue throughout the season.
Last season, the NFLPA partnered with RealResponse to provide its members with a safe platform to anonymously text potential violations of NFL/NFLPA health and safety protocol related to the coronavirus pandemic.
About RealResponse
Founded originally in 2015, and expanded in 2020, RealResponse is an online platform comprising three solutions: real-time reporting, surveys, and a document repository. We empower athletes to report concerns anonymously and in real time using any web-enabled device, and help leaders connect athletes with resources. Key personnel can securely store and track sensitive information in the platform’s documentation hub. Athletic organizations can also use our benchmarking tool to compare metrics to peer and national averages to identify areas of competitive advantage and vulnerability. Our work was recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal in July, 2021 as one of the “Fifty Most Innovative Companies in the Region.” For more information about RealResponse, visit www.realresponse.com.
About the NFLPA
The National Football League Players Association is the union for professional football players in the National Football League. Established in 1956, the NFLPA has a long history of assuring proper recognition and representation of players’ interests. The NFLPA has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to assure that the rights of players are protected—including ceasing to be a union, if necessary, as it did in 1989. In 1993, the NFLPA again was officially recognized as the union representing the players and negotiated a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL. The current CBA will govern the sport through the 2030 NFL season. Learn more at www.nflpa.com.
Contacts: Joe Favorito/ (201) 746-0005/ joefavorito2@gmail.com (For RealResponse)
George Atallah/ (202) 756-9109/ George.Atallah@nflpa.com (For NFLPA)