'Had a heart of gold': Father remembers teenage son who died during football practice

(CNN) — Cohen Craddock was the baby of his family, a gregarious 13-year-old who “cared more about others than he did himself,” his father Ryan Craddock said.

“He was very compassionate, very bighearted and all the time wanted to try to make you laugh, make you feel better and bring people’s spirits up,” Craddock told CNN.

But Cohen’s West Virginia family is now left agonizing without him. The teen died Saturday after a collision during football practice Friday – marking at least the third student football player to die within the first few weeks of this school year.

Their deaths highlight the risks of the America’s most popular sport as the country enters Labor Day weekend and football season.

Cohen’s fatal injury happened the same day a 16-year-old football player from Alabama was fatally injured during his school’s season opener. Caden Tellier, the quarterback for John T. Morgan Academy in Selma, suffered a brain injury Friday night, Alabama Independent School Association Executive Director Michael McLendon told CNN in a statement. His death was announced Saturday.

Caden’s family decided to donate the teen’s organs, his mother wrote on Facebook.

“Caden is still fighting hard in his earthly body as he prepares for this final act of generosity to bring new life to others,” Arsella Slagel Tellier posted Tuesday.

“We continue to pray for those whose lives will be forever changed by his gifts.”

And another Alabama teen, Semaj Wilkins, died August 13 after suffering a medical emergency during football practice at New Brockton High School, Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham told CNN on Wednesday. The football practice had only been going on for “10 or 15 minutes,” Woodham said.

“Semaj was a young man who brought joy and inspiration to his peers, teammates, coaches, and faculty members,” the Coffee County School System said. “His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew him.”

Across the country, 16 young football players – ranging from the youth league to college level – died in 2023, according to data collected by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research. At least 13 of those deaths were directly or indirectly related to football participation, two of the deaths were not related to football or exertion, and the cause of the final death during football participation was not immediately known.

Three of the deaths involved traumatic brain injuries — two in high school football and one in youth league – and all three happened during games. Other causes of death included heat stroke, sudden cardiac arrest and pulmonary embolism.

A grieving father on a mission

Cohen, an eighth grader at Madison Middle School, fell in love with tennis before football. But the affable teen enjoyed the social aspect of team sports and became a football player, just like his dad and big brother.

He was also active in his church youth group and dreamed of being an engineer, his father said. That dream was shattered Friday in what his father calls a tragic accident in football practice.

“It was my understanding he was playing defense in practice, and the boys collided,” Craddock said. “Cohen fell to the ground and hit his head, and that’s what caused his brain to start swelling” and bleed, the father said.

“On the ride to the hospital, he aspirated, then he had some low oxygen levels, which led to brain death, and where his brain was dying, it just basically caused his body to be unable to regulate itself and caused him to perish.”

After medics took Cohen to a hospital, the teen died from his injuries Saturday, the Boone County Ambulance Authority said, according to CNN affiliate WSAZ.

Craddock said the family is waiting for Cohen’s autopsy report to be completed. In the meantime, he’s on a mission to help improve safety in youth football.

In Cohen’s memory, Craddock said he would like student football players to wear helmets with additional, soft-shell coverings.

“I believe if my son would have been wearing something like this, this would have made a totally different outcome,” Craddock said. “You’re not modifying the helmets. It’s just something that attaches directly on. So why not just have that extra layer of protection?”

While some people might scoff at the image of added protection, “What image would you rather have – somebody seeing you laying in a casket, or you wearing something to protect your body?” Craddock said.

A study of middle school football players showed that a combination of helmet coverings and safer tackling techniques reduced head impacts.

But when it comes to studying the effectiveness of helmet coverings alone, lab research shows the soft-shelled caps can reduce the acceleration and force in simulated hits. But in real-life studies of college football players using them on the field, the helmet coverings have shown no benefit.

What we can learn from a 13-year-old

Even on Cohen’s worst days, “he wanted to make sure you felt good. He wanted to make sure other people was happy,” his father said.

Cohen’s death has left a profound impact on his school, where he was “loved by his classmates, his teachers, his administrators, and the entire Madison Middle School staff,” Boone County Schools said in a statement.

“Regarding mental health services, we have had additional counselors based at Madison Middle School,” Superintendent Matthew Riggs told CNN. “Students simply need to let a staff member know they would like to speak with someone.”

Craddock said the best way to honor Cohen is to live as he did.

“I want them to do the same that he has done for so many more – try to make people happy, love one another,” the father said.

“Cohen, he’s his hugger. He like to give everybody hugs. So, stretch your arms out. Hug your kids. Kids, hug your parents. Just make somebody feel loved and happy.”

CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Melissa Alonso, Amy Simonson, Emily Smith and Jamie Gumbrecht contributed to this report. 

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