Kerry Carter, a former pro football player with the Seattle Seahawks and other teams, is tackling a new role as CEO at Atavus, the Seattle-based sports technology company that teaches proper tackling technique.
Atavus has grown beyond being a consulting company for NFL teams and higher-end collegiate programs. The focus now is mainly as a software-as-a-service business targeted at a wider market, including high schools, where coaches can get certified in a tackling system aimed at increasing player safety. Certification opens up access to Atavus drill videos, tackle plans and more.
“I tried to really shift what the foundation of the business would be,” said Carter, who started at Atavus in 2016 and took over as CEO in January. He plans to reintroduce the company’s consulting and analytics product, which will be improved by advances in machine learning and generative AI.
“It’s just finding better ways to intake information and produce better outputs for our clients that are actionable,” he said. “The biggest thing for us is being a resource for coaches.”
Carter is already busy linking Atavus to other sports tech providers. The company announced a new partnership Monday with Hudl, a Lincoln, Neb.-based sports analysis technology company. The plan is to combine Atavus’ player safety expertise with Hudl’s cutting-edge technology to track and improve performance.
Atavus started as a rugby skills platform in 2011 and transitioned to a comprehensive training program for football through its Atavus Tackle System, which offers coaching techniques and analysis aimed at making tackling safer. Former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was a big believer in the system, which he labeled “Hawk Tackle,” and the University of Washington and Ohio State football programs were also early adopters.
The startup was acquired by sports technology and data investment fund Phoenix Sports Partners in 2019.
Carter said there’s a lot of conversation around football and tackling technique right now, especially in the NFL where a rules change will eliminate the so-called “hip-drop tackle” from the game. Carter doesn’t think safety and performance have to be mutually exclusive.
Atavus’ approach is to look at tackling from a data-driven perspective to determine if it’s safe and efficient. Carter points to former Seahawks great Bobby Wagner as a prime example of what a player can achieve with proper technique.
“Bobby’s one of the most efficient tacklers and has been for a very long time, and he’s a high shoulder and chest percentage guy. Bobby’s rarely injured,” Carter said. “[Teams] have invested millions of dollars in these guys and they want to keep them on the field.”
