Medrick Burnett Jr., a student at Alabama A&M, died on Wednesday night after suffering a head injury playing in a football game in October. Jefferson County Deputy Coroner AJ Clifton confirmed the tragic news to The Athletic on Friday.
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Burnett was only 20 years old.
During the Magic City Classic on October 26, the freshman linebacker sustained a head injury as the Bulldogs faced a 27-19 defeat against their in-state rival, Alabama State.
Clifton chose not to provide additional details to The Athletic, but a press release is anticipated later today.
Alabama A&M first released a statement on Tuesday evening about Burnett’s death, based on information from an “immediate” family member the previous night, but later withdrew it.
“We retract the news of the passing of Medrick Burnette Jr, that was originally advised by an immediate family member on Tuesday evening,” the university’s athletic department wrote on X.
“Our staff acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate occurrence. 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,’ they added.
Medrick Burnett Jr.’s Family Has an Ongoing GoFundMe
A GoFundMe page created by Burnett’s family states that the linebacker suffered severe injuries from a head-on collision in October, just one day before his 20th birthday.
“He had several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain,” the family added. “He had to have a tube to drain to relieve 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.”
On Wednesday, Dominece James, Burnett’s eldest sister and the GoFundMe organizer, shared the latest update on the page. “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,” she wrote.
As of this writing, the family has raised $55,350Â of a $100,000 goal.
Burnett began his college football career at Grambling State in Louisiana before transferring to Alabama A&M. Hailing from Lakewood, California, he made five tackles over seven games during the Bulldogs’ 6-6 season.