Skip to content
MarketScale
‹ Back to IndustriesEducation Technology

Listen: Iron Neck’s Fight To Save Football with Mike Jolly

Today on the Podcast, we talk to the inventor, founder, and president of The Iron Neck, Mike Jolly. From athlete to entrepreneur, we delve into the foundations of his company, and the science behind functional sports training. In 2012, after losing teammates at UCLA to CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a progressive degenerative disease which…

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Education Technology teams put it to work with Executive Thought Leadership.

Share
Listen: Iron Neck’s Fight To Save Football with Mike Jolly

Get featured

Want to get featured in MarketScale Education Technology?

Create a free MarketScale workspace and get your company's expertise featured across our Education Technology coverage. No credit card, no demo required.

Request an invite

Today on the Podcast, we talk to the inventor, founder, and president of The Iron Neck, Mike Jolly. From athlete to entrepreneur, we delve into the foundations of his company, and the science behind functional sports training.

In 2012, after losing teammates at UCLA to CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a progressive degenerative disease which afflicts the brain of people who have suffered repeated concussions and traumatic brain injuries, Mike wanted to focus on finding preventive measures for CTE, which led to his work on the research of concussions.

“This is why I invented The Iron Neck. Not to get rich, not to get money. I invented the Iron Neck to protect brains.” – Mike Jolly

After a research study surfaced that studied 7500 High School student-athletes and found that 1 pound of neck strength increase decreased the risk of concussions by 5%, Mike invented the Iron Neck. In just a month and a half of targeted training, the device can increase strength up to 25%.

But not everyone was on board with the device in the beginning. Mike goes on to tell us about the skepticism he faced while introducing his device at the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association Strength Show in 2012, and the rise of its use in programs across the country.

Mike also shares his thoughts and ideas on the future of innovative thinking in Sports strength training, and where the emphasis of playing smarter, not stronger will impact the health of athletes in the years to come.

Some states have already made neck strength training mandatory in athletic programs, and Mike Jolly has been pivotal in shaping these training programs across the country.

For more information on Iron Neck after listening to the podcast, visit Mike’s website at http://www.iron-neck.com/

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Education Technology starts with a company putting its implementation leads, instructional designers, and district partners on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Procurement teams read long before they ever call, and your implementers get to answer their questions first.

Get your team featuredSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.

Follow Education Technology Insights

Get new expert content in your inbox.

Education Technology: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Education Technology buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. See how AI describes your company today, and where competitors show up instead.

Free workspace

You just read one Education Technology expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your implementation leads, instructional designers, and district partners into the articles, video, and social content Education Technology buyers are searching for. Create a free workspace and see it with your own people. No credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What you get, free

Your own MarketScale Studio workspace
One video edit a month, on us
AI writing, editing, and publishing tools
In-platform coaching to learn the system

More Education Technology Insights

Four ways the University of Michigan is transforming higher education

Four ways the University of Michigan is transforming higher education

The University of Michigan Center for Innovation (UMCI) in Detroit is establishing a new higher education model that combines interdisciplinary graduate programs, workforce development through gateway certificates, K-12 partnerships, and collaborative engagement with regional institutions and local businesses. The center aims to serve both Detroit residents and international students while addressing local workforce gaps in sectors like robotics, urban technology, and applied AI.

  • 01The University of Michigan is using its Center for Innovation in Detroit to offer interdisciplinary degrees, workforce certificates and K-12 programming aimed at sectors like robotics and AI.
  • 02The university's approach aims to better equip students for future employment challenges.
  • 03This transformation in education focuses on workforce preparation, inclusive access for Detroiters and interdisciplinary learning that tackles real-world challenges.

Sep 10, 2026

The Innovator at the Center of UMCI - Episode 2

The Innovator at the Center of UMCI - Episode 2

Scott Shireman, inaugural executive director of the University of Michigan Center for Innovation (UMCI), transitioned from the Bay Area to lead efforts positioning Detroit as a magnet for talent. His strategy centers on creating a "talent corridor" that connects the university with local tech hubs and institutions to drive both Detroit's economic revival and the University of Michigan's global standing.

  • 01Scott Shireman spent a sabbatical at Coursera after Berkeley before joining UMCI, describing the startup experience as equivalent to earning a second MBA.
  • 02UMCI's strategy involves establishing connections between the University of Michigan, local tech hubs like Tech Town and New Lab, and community leaders to create a coordinated talent corridor.
  • 03Shireman aims to retain local Detroit talent while attracting global innovators by building an ecosystem that offers substantial job opportunities and improves quality of life.

Sep 10, 2026

AI detectors are turning into audit tools, not enforcement, in higher ed

AI detectors are turning into audit tools, not enforcement, in higher ed

AI detection tools can be used to review student writing, but their results are not definitive. In 2026, colleges are putting more emphasis on AI literacy, assessment redesign and clear guidance for acceptable AI use than on detection alone.

  • 0186% student AI use (Digital Education Council survey, cited by Community College Daily) makes “ban and catch” workflows expensive at scale. Training, course design, and tool governance become the controllable levers.
  • 02OECD’s 2026 Outlook warns that better-looking work with GenAI can disappear or reverse on exams without it, a signal that assessment design is now a learning-outcomes control, not a pedagogy preference.

Sep 7, 2026

Explore More Education Technology Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Education Technology.

Browse Education Technology Hub

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Education Technology and beyond.

Book a 15-minute demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512