Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. has died one month after suffering a severe head injury during a game.
Burnett, a redshirt freshman from Lakewood, California, was involved in a head-to-head collision during the Bulldogs’ 27-19 loss to Alabama State on Oct. 26, one day before his 20th birthday. The injury happened during a kickoff return.
Burnett was hospitalized with multiple brain bleeds and swelling of the brain and had to undergo a craniotomy to alleviate pressure, Burnett’s sister, Dominece James, said in a GoFundMe account set up for Burnett’s care.
Burnett died on Wednesday, the Jefferson County Coroner confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. He was 20.
The Alabama A&M athletic department announced Burnett’s death Wednesday morning, citing an immediate family member, but the university later issued a retraction at 6:13 ET and stated that Burnett ‘remains alive.’ The Jefferson County Coroner listed Burnett’s time of death as 5:43 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday.
‘Medrick was more than an exceptional athlete; he was a remarkable young man whose positive energy, leadership and compassion left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him,’ Alabama A&M athletics director Dr. Paul A. Bryant said in the university’s initial statement on Wednesday. ‘While words cannot adequately express our grief, we are humbled by the strength of his family, who stood by his side throughout this unimaginable ordeal.’
Burnett transferred to Alabama A&M this season from Grambling State University. He recorded five tackles for the Bulldogs this season.
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