Loaded with protein, carbohydrates and fiber, it was a healthy, satisfying reprieve from the 12-hour days a miner spent on his knees in a dark and unforgiving coal shaft.

NPR: Beans and Cornbread: Feeding Souls a Mile Deep

Despite his love for the gridiron, the coal miner's son knows there's a dark side to the sport.

CNN: Former NFL player wants brain studied

Jimmy Sanchez, the youngest miner at 19, told his girlfriend he is afraid of the dark, confined spaces and the spirits of dead miners -- a harrowing trifecta for a man in his predicament.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS