Medrick Burnett Jr., a first-year linebacker with the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, tragically died on Wednesday, just a month after he suffered a serious head injury during a game against Alabama State University on Oct. 26. He was 20 years old.
News of Burnett’s passing comes just days after the school erroneously shared a statement that the young athlete had succumbed to his injuries, despite still being alive at the time.
Burnett, a redshirt freshman from Lakewood, Calif., sustained a head injury during the annual Magic City Classic against the school’s in-state rivals last month. Dominece James, the older sister of Burnett, said in a fundraising campaign that he had been injured after a “head-on-head collision.”
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“He had several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain. He had to have a tube to drain to relieve [sic] the pressure, and after 2 days of severe pressure, we had to opt for a craniotomy, which was the last resort to help try to save his life,” her initial post read.
Alabama A&M University released a statement on Wednesday morning confirming Burnett’s passing but later retracted the statement, claiming that they had received incorrect information from the family.
“Our staff acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate occurrence,” the second statement read. “Upon hearing from a representative from UAB Hospital this afternoon, we learned that he remains alive.
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“We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information. However, we hold complete joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition.”
The last update provided by Burnett’s sister was posted on Wednesday and read, “Please pray he is having a tough time but we are holding on til the very end. God give us strength so we can keep the faith.”
According to multiple reports, the Jefferson County Coroner’s office reported that Burnett was pronounced dead Wednesday, at 5:43 p.m.
Burnett joined Alabama A&M’s team over the summer after starting his college career at Grambling State. He played in seven games and made five tackles, including three against Austin Peay.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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