A 3rd Teen Death While Playing Football Raises Cause For Concern

CHARLOTTE, NC — A 13-year-old football player has died in West Virginia, the third football player to die nationwide in August.

The father of Cohen Craddock says son took a hard hit last Friday, causing his brain to bleed and swell. Cohen died the next day.

Cohen Craddock’s father is channeling his grief into action, saying he will campaign to have players provided with “guardian caps” to offer extra head protection during tackles.

Two other teens in Alabama also died this month while playing football.

The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research says 16 players died in 2023, ranging from youth league to college age.

Here in the Carolinas safety is at the top of mind, not just with head injuries but also extreme heat this week.

Head coach Daryl McFadden and his Independence High School Football team are used to the dog days of summer,  but some dogs bite harder than others.

Instead of an after school practice, McFadden and his student-athletes are waiting for it to cool down by starting practice at 6PM

“That just ensures us to make sure we get some field work. You know yesterday was another hot one. So we were forced to kind of practice in the gym,” said McFadden.

Other teams in our area are doing the same, choosing to bring their practice in the air conditioned gymnasium.

The NCHSAA has a series of rules in place. Essentially, the hotter it gets, the more water breaks players get. Plus, more heat means less equipment. When it comes to equipment, you may notice some teams in our area wearing soft shell concussion helmets. Those were created to minimize the impact of a collision.

“We haven’t had any headaches or head injuries or concussions and our kids hate them. They hate the way they look. But we wear them in the games and we’re going to wear them all year long,” said McFadden of the helmets.