North Gwinnett football team mourns loss of student

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The North Gwinnett football program is dealing with a tragedy this week.

Rising 9th grader Cooper O’Brien, who wasn’t a player for coach Bob Sphire’s Bulldogs but was considered an honorary member of the team, died of a rare cancer over the weekend.

The news hit the North Gwinnett community hard. The Bulldogs will wear a sticker on their helmets this season honoring Cooper.

Coach Bob Spire said Cooper taught his team some very tough life lessons.