By Zack Klemme, The Herald-Dispatch
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State Sen. Mike Stuart was a sports dad, and his first reaction to what happened to Cohen Craddock was, he said, that of a father.
Craddock, 13, a Madison Middle School eighth-grade defensive lineman, sustained a fatal head injury on Aug. 23 while making a tackle during practice. He died the next day at Charleston Area Medical Center General.
Stuart was a volleyball dad, not football — his daughters, Bella and Audrey, competed in that sport at George Washington — but the news resonated.
“It broke my heart,” said Stuart, R-Kanawha, who also represents Boone County. “I love youth sports, but we shouldn’t be placing them in a position where they face long-term injury from simply playing sports at a young age.”
After speaking with Craddock’s father, Ryan Craddock, Stuart has shared his resolve to try to lessen the likelihood of future similar tragedies.
Stuart said he plans to introduce the Cohen Craddock Student Safety Bill in the 2025 legislative session. His aim is that it would mandate the use of Guardian caps for youth football players in West Virginia.
