A middle school football player died Saturday in West Virginia after sustaining a head injury during practice, his father said.
Cohen Craddock, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Madison Middle School, died in the hospital after making a tackle that resulted in brain bleeding and swelling, according to WSAZ.
The boy’s father, Ryan Craddock, told reporters that his son was able to get up and take a few steps after the collision before losing consciousness, The Associated Press (AP) reported. (RELATED: REPORT: 15-Year-Old Collapses At Football Practice In Virginia, Dies)
8th grader Cohen Craddock of Boone County WV died after taking a hard hit to the head in practice on Friday.
It is the second death in football from a traumatic brain injury this weekend. This is a sad start to the football season. https://t.co/eydxpDpkdS— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) August 26, 2024
“You’re in disbelief,” Craddock told WSAZ. “You wish it was a bad dream you could wake up from. It’s agony inside. I can’t put words to — It’s terrible.”
School principal Shann Elkins described Cohen as “a wonderful, polite, and smart young man who was an important part of our school family,” according to The AP. Boone County Superintendent Matthew Riggs issued a statement saying students, faculty and staff would have access to counseling and support services at the school.
Craddock said this was his son’s second year playing football and that he enjoyed being a part of the team as much as the game itself, according to WSAZ.
“He liked the social gathering part, just making buddies,” Craddock told WSAZ.
Craddock told WSAZ that since he doesn’t want to see any other parents suffer as he has, he plans on helping other players get Guardian Caps, equipment that provides extra protection for players’ heads.
“I want to take the loss of my boy to try to protect the other guys,” he said. “I don’t want anybody else to go through what we are going through currently.”
