Alabama A&M football player still alive after head injury; The school retracts its statement about his death
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Alabama A&M football player still alive after head injury; The school retracts its statement about his death

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

BIRMINGHAM, AL – SEPTEMBER 01: A general view of an Alabama A&M Bulldogs helmet during the game between the Alabama A&M Bulldogs and the UAB Blazers at Protective Stadium on September 1, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Alabama A&M freshman linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. suffered a head injury in a game on Oct. 29 and has been hospitalized since. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It’s an astonishing development that an Alabama A&M football player whose death was announced by the school is still alive and on life support. The statement was quickly retracted

Medrick Burnett Jr. was injured in a head-to-head collision during the Bulldogs’ game against Alabama State on Oct. 29. As his sister explained in a GoFundMe set up to help her parents care for him, his condition is serious.

“He had multiple brain bleeds and brain swelling. He needed a draining tube to relieve the pressure and after two days of severe pressure we had to opt for a craniotomy as a last resort to save his life.

The Alabama A&M athletic department was apparently incorrectly informed by “an immediate family member” — supposedly Burnett’s father, according to Fox54 in Huntsville, Alabama — that his son had died.

The school subsequently released a statement regarding Burnett Jr.’s death (via Associated Press).

“Today our Bulldog family is heartbroken by the loss of Medrick Burnett Jr.,” said Dr. Alabama A&M athletic director Paul A. Bryant in a statement Wednesday. “Medrick was more than an exceptional athlete; He was a remarkable young man whose positive energy, leadership and compassion left an indelible impression on everyone who knew him.

“While words cannot adequately express our grief, we are humbled by the strength of his family who stood by him throughout this unimaginable ordeal.”

However, after Burnett Jr.’s mother and a UAB Hospital representative learned he was still alive, the athletic department issued a retraction (via Fox54).

“We are retracting the news of the death of Medrick Burnett Jr., originally shared by an immediate family member on Tuesday evening. Our staff acted in accordance with the family member’s wishes to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate event.”

“When we heard from a UAB Hospital representative this afternoon, we learned he was still alive.

“We express our immediate regret for spreading false information, but are pleased that Medrick remains in stable condition.”

The original statement has been removed from Alabama A&M’s athletics website and social media.

Burnett Jr., 20, is a redshirt freshman linebacker from Lakewood, Calif., who began playing for Alabama A&M this season after transferring from Grambling State. He played in seven games this year and recorded five tackles.

“Please pray that this is difficult for him, but we will hold on until the end,” Dominece, Burnett Jr.’s sister, posted on the GoFundMe page on Wednesday. “God give us strength so that we can keep the faith.”

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