West Virginia middle school football player dies after suffering a head injury

BOONE COUNTY, W.V. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A middle school football player in West Virginia has died after suffering a head injury during practice.

Cohen Craddock was a 13-year-old eighth grader who was critically injured during practice Friday on the field and passed away Saturday.

Cohen's father, Ryan, says his son had an outstanding personality and that he liked playing football as much for the comraderie as for the game itself. This was his second year on the team.

"You're in disbelief. 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," Ryan expressed.

Ryan says he is working on providing guardian caps to the other players on his son's team in hopes of avoiding similar injuries.

"I want to take the loss of my boy to try to protect the other guys. I don't want anybody else to experience this," Ryan explained.