An eighth-grade student in West Virginia died Saturday from football practice injuries, just three days after the start of school.
Cohen Craddock, a 13-year-old Madison Middle School student, suffered a head injury during practice with his Redhawks team on Friday and was rushed to the hospital, where he died Saturday, according to the Boone County Ambulance Authority.
Cohen’s father, Ryan Craddock, told NBC News on Tuesday that his son collided with several other kids, fell, and struck his head on the way down.
“That created brain swelling, which started a snowball effect, which ultimately led to him passing away,” Craddock told the reporter.
Craddock now wants to raise awareness about better safety protocols for young athletes, and he wants to have his son’s teammates wear Guardian Caps, which are described as “impact-reducing soft-shell helmet covers” that provide an extra layer of head protection.
“I think with the Guardian Cap it could have been a little bit of a different outcome,” Craddock reflected. “And I would like to at least protect any the other kids that I can, starting at the county level, if I can move it on to the state or national level, to push for these kids to start wearing Guardian Caps at least in practice or however far they want to take it.”
He stated that he has spoken with the founders of Guardian Caps, and they are willing to assist.
“I’m just thinking if it saves one other family from the heartache that my family’s experiencing at the moment, it’ll all be worth it,” Craddock told me. “I’m sure Cohen would want this, too. And he doesn’t want me to postpone or delay this.”
Craddock described his kid as “Mr. Personality” with a “heart of gold” who was adored by everyone around him and enjoyed attending church.
“He was brilliant. He excelled at math, enjoyed technology, and was highly knowledgeable about electronics and computers,” Craddock said, adding that Cohen aspired to be a computer engineer.
“As a father, I couldn’t have been more proud,” he joked.
In a statement to Huntington-based NBC affiliate WSAZ, Boone County Schools Superintendent Matthew Riggs stated, “As a Redhawk, Cohen was loved by his classmates, teachers, administrators, and the entire Madison Middle School staff.”
“Cohen was also a member and captain of the Redhawks football team. Our thoughts and prayers are with Cohen’s family, friends, teammates, students, and the whole MMS staff. As we send our thoughts and prayers to Cohen’s family, we ask the community to do the same so that they might find healing, comfort, protection, and strength.”
Cohen’s death has affected the entire community, with adjacent counties posting condolence messages on social media.
Shann Elkins, principal of Madison Middle School, which serves 450 students in grades six through eight, issued a statement thanking the public for the “outpouring of love, support, kindness, and caring that has been expressed from so many across the state, region, and nation.”
“It’s been both overwhelming and consoling at this time of heartbreak. We want everyone to know that Cohen was a great, kind, and intelligent young guy who was a valuable member of our school community,” Elkins added.
The Boone County Sheriff’s Office stated on Saturday: “Today we are all Madison Middle School Redhawks and our hearts are heavy with the terrible loss of a bright young athlete in our community.
Craddock described the support his family has gotten as “mind-blowing.”
“I had no idea he’d touched so many people. “Just his presence, the way he carried himself, his personality, made everyone happy,” he said. “It’s very humbling that my 13-year-old kid has got the acknowledgment that he has.”
Cohen’s death is the latest tragedy involving a young student-athlete.
Caden Tellier, a 16-year-old high school quarterback from Alabama, died Friday after being tackled and hitting his head during a football game. The state medical examiner will determine the cause of death. According to Dallas County Coroner William Dailey, the preliminary findings indicate that Tellier died as a result of internal bleeding in the brain induced by the fall.
This month alone, there have been several other football-related deaths.
Jayvion Taylor slumped during football practice on August 5 at Hopewell High School, roughly 24 miles south of Richmond, before dying, according to investigators. Meanwhile, in Missouri, sophomore Ovet Gomez-Regalado died on August 16 during a preseason session at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, roughly 12 miles southwest of downtown Kansas City.
