Alabama A&M football player Medrick Burnett Jr. has died after sustaining a head injury during a football game against Alabama State in October.
The 20-year-old Burnett, a redshirt freshman linebacker, died at 5:43 p.m. local time Wednesday evening, the Jefferson County coroner’s office in Alabama confirmed to CBS News Friday.
He had been hospitalized at UAB Hospital ever since suffering the injury on Oct. 26.
On Tuesday evening, Alabama A&M had prematurely announced his death and was then forced to retract that statement.
However, on Wednesday afternoon, the department said that it had spoken to a hospital representative and learned that Burnett remained alive.
Medrick Burnett Jr., football player for Alabama A&M. passed away in October following a head injury sustained during a football game against Alabama State.
At 5:43 p.m., Burnett, a 20-year-old redshirt freshman linebacker, passed away. m. local time Wednesday night, the Alabama Jefferson County coroner’s office told CBS News on Friday. Since sustaining the injury in October, he has been admitted to UAB Hospital. 25. They did not specify the cause of death.
According to Alabama A&M’s athletics website, Burnett, a native of Lakewood, California, began his football career at Grambling State University in Louisiana before transferring to the university. Making five tackles, including three against Austin Peay, he participated in seven games.
Alabama A&M had been forced to revoke its earlier announcement of his death on Tuesday night.
In its false statement on Tuesday, the school’s athletic department claimed that “an immediate family member” had notified them of Burnett’s alleged death and that it “acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member” to notify the public.
But the department said Wednesday afternoon that it had spoken with a hospital representative and found out Burnett was still alive.
“We sincerely apologize for spreading misleading information, but we are delighted to know that Medrick’s condition is stable,” the school stated at the time.
As of Friday, Burnett’s GoFundMe had raised more than $48,000.
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