A 20-year-old Alabama College linebacker has tragically passed away just weeks after he sustained a head injury on the field.
Medrick Burnett Jr., died on Wednesday night following complications from a severe head injury sustained during an October football game.
As reported by the Athletic, Burnett suffered the injury during the Bulldogs’ 27-19 loss to in-state rival Alabama State on October 26 at the Magic City Classic.
The university initially announced his death Wednesday but retracted the statement hours later after UAB Hospital informed them that Burnett was still alive.
Tragically, he passed away later that evening.
Alabama A&M explained the premature announcement stemmed from information provided by an immediate family member.
“We retract the news of the passing of Medrick Burnett Jr, that was originally advised by an immediate family member on Tuesday evening,” the university’s athletic department said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“Upon hearing from a representative from UAB hospital this afternoon, we learned that he remains alive. We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information; however, we hold complete joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition.”
The athletic department extended condolences to Burnett’s family after confirmation of his passing on Friday.
Burnett, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker, was a native of Lakewood, California, as reported by the New York Post.
He began his college football career at Grambling State in Louisiana before transferring to Alabama A&M, where he played seven games during the Bulldogs’ 6-6 season, recording five tackles.
According to a GoFundMe campaign organized by Burnett’s family, the 20-year-old athlete sustained a “severe head-on-head collision” during the game, which occurred just a day before his birthday.
The family described extensive medical challenges, including brain bleeds, swelling, and the need for a craniotomy to relieve pressure on his brain.
“He had several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain,” the family wrote. “After two days of severe pressure, we had to opt for a craniotomy, which was the last resort to try to save his life.”
Burnett’s older sister, Dominece James, who organized the fundraiser, updated supporters on Wednesday, saying: “Please pray. He is having a tough time, but we are holding on till the very end. God give us strength so we can keep the faith.”
At the time of writing, the fundraiser has raised $54,000 from a target of $100,000.
In the last year, 16 players died from football-related injuries in the last year across the country, nine of which were in middle and high school, per a report by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research.
