Canton, Ohio, is the birthplace of the NFL. Passion for football runs deep there.

For 11-year-old Kyle Capozzi, football is everything in the fall. He watches local high school teams on Friday, the Florida Gators on Saturday and the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, enjoying everything the game has to offer.

Kyle’s playing career is over despite his young age. He was hit helmet-to-helmet last September while running out the clock in an early-season game in Greentown – about 10 miles north of Canton.

It was a meaningless play at the end of a game in which the score was already decided. But it meant everything to Kyle and his family as he lie motionless on the field.

Concussion education is spreading throughout the nation, but it didn’t move fast enough for Kyle, his father, Chris Capozzi, said.

That’s why even though Kyle can’t take part in the sport he loves any more, he wants to help coaches and children like himself learn the right way to teach and play the game.

“I used to want to play in the NFL,” Kyle said. “Now, I want to be a physical therapist who helps people who get concussions. I want to tell my story and tell people what happened to me and what to do if they get a concussion.”

Kyle’s interest in football began the simplest way – throwing a ball around the yard with his father.

He played two years of flag football before moving to tackle. He suffered a concussion during a practice and – as his father knows now – returned to the field too early.

The hit came with 13 seconds left in a two-touchdown game while Kyle ran off-tackle. He was in one defender’s arms when he was hit helmet-to-helmet by another. No flag was thrown.

WATCH: Kyle Capozzi is the running back, No. 55 on this play.

“They took his helmet off, picked him up and carried him off the field,” Chris Capozzi said. “He was sitting there on the bench alone when I came and got him. We went to a medical center first, and they sent us to a hospital. He had a concussion, whiplash and neck injuries. He lost his vision and hearing at times. He was in a neck brace for over a month. He was out of school from September to Thanksgiving. He couldn’t sit in a room with lights or loud sounds. We had no idea what was happening or what would happen.”

Kyle worked with a physical therapist three days a week as he regained coordination. He’s back in school, but he still gets headaches occasionally, and he’s never allowed to play contact sports again.

Doctors have said he can play baseball but only with a skull cap in the outfield and a full-cage helmet at the plate.

Chris Capozzi is a college baseball coach. Kyle grew up playing that sport. He was a pitcher. Now, he’s not sure if he wants to return to the diamond at all.

Some of his friends don’t understand. Some adults don’t either.

“My friends wanted me to play tackle football in their backyard,” Kyle said. “I told them I’m not allowed to, and they started making fun of me.”

Kyle and Chris found out about USA Football while learning about concussions. Chris encourages all the youth leagues around Canton to adopt Heads Up Football and educate their coaches, parents and players about safety.

Nearly 2,800 youth organizations across the nation signed up for Heads Up Football in 2013. The program focuses on coaching education, concussion recognition and response, heat and hydration and proper tackling techniques.

Both father and son are educating people in their community on the need for education. Kyle has written an article for his school newspaper, and Chris met with 40 parents from the football league.

Chris feels he is lucky. Kyle’s injury could be much worse. It also could might have been prevented.

“Kyle isn’t looking for sympathy for himself. He deals with this every day, and he still loves football. We want to bring awareness to this,” Chris Capozzi said. “Your son or daughter may not die or get paralyzed, but everything can change in an instant. We need to be playing the game the right way.

“Kyle still cries on a regular basis. He says, ‘I just don’t want anyone to get hurt like I did.’ It’s been a life-changing experience with the recovery, and the passion Kyle shows to share his story with others is inspiring. He doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else.”