West Virginia senator Michael Stuart wants to mandate head protective gear

Stuart has introduced a bylaw on requiring all West Virginia high school football players to wear "Guardian Caps"

A Guardian Cap adorns a helmet at Pleasant Hill High School in Oregon. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If West Virginia senator Michael Stuart gets his way, the Mountain State will soon have every high school football player brandishing protective headgear.

Stuart introduced Cohen Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act (Senate Bill 585) back on February 24th, in which the bill would create the Student Athlete Safety Advisory Committee to help oversee the use of helmets and their safety equipment along with them.

Cohen Craddock was a Boone County middle school football player who passed away back in August due to head injuries suffered from football practice.

“We have the ability and the chance to make a big difference not only for Cohen Craddock and his family but for kids similarly situated across the country,” Stuart said per a 5 WDTV report.

“This is a smart bill and it’s a bill that can grow with West Virginia over time. It addresses football safety for our sons today but it can also address many other important issues affecting the safety of our kids on athletic fields and courts all across West Virginia moving forward.”

One of the most popular options, already in use in states like Rhode Island, is football players wearing Guardian Caps.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Rhode Island state representative Joseph McNamara introduced legislation on requiring all Rhode Island high school football players to wear proctective head gear.

Rhode Island representative Joseph McNamara wants to mandate head protective gear

“Parents are concerned, and if we can make this sport safer, it will benefit everyone,” McNamara said via a 12 News report back in September. “There are other communities that are struggling and they also have football teams. I want to ensure that every students has access to [the gear]."

Per the website for Guardian Caps, down below is the overall purpose for the protective head gear. The website states “the NFL has mandated the use of Guardian Caps since the 2022 preseason. The league before the 2024 season reported a 52% reduction in concussions for those positions during the mandated period versus the previous three-year average.”

"What is the purpose of a Guardian Cap? The Guardian Cap was created to bring a soft padded layer to the outside of hard-shell helmets. They are also designed to move independently of the helmet below, allowing for forces to be redirected around the head. Lighter color Guardian Caps also reduce radiant heat up to 20 degrees F. Lastly, the coefficient of friction of a Guardian Cap is less than that of hard shelled helmet, allowing for less grab."

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