Cohen Craddock's legacy inspires new safety measures for young athletes in West Virginia

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act, named in the honor of Cohen Craddock who passed away in August during a middle school football practice in Boone County, passed the West Virginia Senate unanimously on Tuesday.

The 13-year-old Cohen Craddock passed away after sustaining a head injury during football practice. Since his passing, state lawmakers and his family have been working to ensure that student athletes across the state will be as safe as possible. Some of the results of their work is starting to be seen in the unanimous passing of Senate Bill 585.

"That's a day and experience that I hope no other parent has to go through," Ryan Craddock, Cohen's father, said. "That's reason we're trying to push this deal, if we can prevent these type injuries we need to."

This bill would make softshell helmet covers, also known as guardian caps mandatory for middle and high school football practices.

Lead sponsor of the bill Sen. Mike Stuart said that this bill, inspired by Craddock, aims to make not only football players, but all athletes in the state safe.

"I'm just hopeful that we never have another tragedy like we saw in Boone County," Stuart said. "But as of next summer, very exciting prospect for whether it's football or basketball soccer, lacrosse, you name the sport, we're gonna be maximizing and prioritizing the safety of our young student athletes."

Some football coaches in West Virginia have already began using soft shell helmet covers that would be mandated by the bill.

Ripley High School Football Head Coach Ryan Simon said that despite some conflicting data his team already uses them during practices in order to protect the athletes.

"I feel like there's a chance that it can help and ease everybody's mind and protect the athletes, I say we do it," Simon said.

Cohen's father said that making student athletes safer in West Virginia is only a starting point of his larger goal.

He said that he would like to make a nationwide push for similar bills in every state to help families and to carry on his sons legacy.

"Cohen he was a big boy with a big heart," Craddock said. "I've never seen anybody so helpful and compassionate towards others. So I want this to be his legacy, Cohen's death, reaching out from the grave to help other people, that's what this is all about. This is about Cohen."