‘Caps for Cohen Initiative’ hopes to reduce risk of head injuries in football

Video: ‘He was Mr. Personality’: Father reveals more details in death of Madison Middle School football player

MADISON, WV (WOWK) – A family grieving the loss of their son after a tragic accident at football practice is working to help protect other players across West Virginia and the nation.

The Craddock Family has announced the launch of the Caps for Cohen Initiative. The goal is to raise funds to provide Guardian Caps, a protective, soft-shell helmet cover for youth football players in the state and throughout the country. The Guardian Caps are manufactured by Guardian Sports.

Cohen Craddock, 13, of Hewett, West Virginia in Boone County, was an 8th-grade student at Madison Middle School. He tragically passed away on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, due to injuries he sustained during a football practice.

On Friday, Aug. 23, Cohen was practicing as a defensive lineman when he went for a tackle and took a bad hit to his head, according to his father, Ryan Craddock. He said Cohen got back up, took a couple of steps, and went unconscious; he wouldn’t gain consciousness again, his father told Nexstar’s WOWK.

In the ambulance, it was found he had low oxygen levels, and his brain was swelling. He said Cohen was wearing a helmet during practice.

Cohen’s parents, Ryan and Jennifer Craddock, say their family is committed to reducing the risk of head injuries in young athletes so that no other families have to endure such a tragedy.

“We want to honor Cohen’s memory and his love for football by making the game safer for all kids,” said Ryan and Jennifer Craddock. “The Caps for Cohen Initiative is our way of turning our grief into action. We believe that by providing these Guardian Caps, we may help reduce future injuries and improve outcomes for athletes. Our goal is to get these Caps on every youth football helmet in the country.”

As part of the initiative, Guardian Sports has agreed to provide a discount for every Guardian Cap that is purchased through the Caps for Cohen Initiative. Cohen’s parents say they are also working to establish a non-profit entity for the initiative. That non-profit will focus on providing equipment to help reduce the risk of young athletes sustaining head injuries.

“We are deeply moved by the Craddock family’s dedication to improving player safety in honor of their son, Cohen,” said Erin and Lee Hanson, co-founders of Guardian Sports. “At Guardian, we are committed to advancing player protection in football, and we are proud to partner with the Caps for Cohen Initiative to make a difference in the lives of young athletes.”

A Caps for Cohen website has already launched, and anyone who wants to help can make donations online. The “Donate Now” button currently takes users to a GoFundMe account, and as of 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5, $6,553 have already been raised. The current goal for the GoFundMe is $50,000.

The Craddock family is also receiving local support in their initiative. Todd Mount of Shaffer & Shaffer, PLLC, is providing legal services, pro bono, to help establish the non-profit. Boone Memorial Health has purchased Guardian Caps and is currently working to distribute them to every middle and high school in Boone, Lincoln and Logan counties in West Virginia. The hospital is also helping the family with distribution logistics, media relations, and marketing and website support.

The family says the Guardian Cap contribution from BMH will help to ensure that the student-athletes in those communities around Cohen’s have vital protection as this year’s football season gets underway.

“On behalf of everyone at Boone Memorial Health, I want to express our deepest condolences to the Craddock family during this incredibly difficult time,” said Virgil Underwood, President and CEO of Boone Memorial Health. “We are honored to support the Caps for Cohen Initiative and to play a role in protecting our young athletes. Safety and well-being are our top priorities, and we are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that our kids can enjoy sports in the safest environment possible.”

Cohen’s father, Ryan Craddock, will also be visiting middle and high school teams in Boone, Lincoln and Logan counties to share Cohen’s story. He will be joined by BMH ER Trauma Director Dr. Chris Flanagan and ER Director Brian Keith, RN, who will help to educate the teams on injury prevention and concussion protocol.

Along with the Caps for Cohen Initiative, West Virginia State Senator Mike Stuart (R) plans to introduce a bill in the 2025 legislative session designed to require all elementary and middle schools in the state to use Guardian Caps for football players. It would also require the Caps in contact practices for high school football.

“We should not place our kids in positions where they face long-term injury from simply playing sports. Cohen’s passing was a tragedy, and we owe it to him and all young athletes to make this simple but effective safety measure mandatory,” Stuart said. “The National Football League (NFL) mandated the use of Guardian Caps during practice for certain positions in 2022. If it’s good enough for the NFL, it’s good enough for our kids.”

Sen. Stuart told WOWK last week he will reach out to professional sports teams as well as Marshall and WVU, trying to raise money for the Guardian Cap program.

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