Medrick Burnett Jr., Alabama A&M football player, dies over a month after suffering head injury during game
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. The exact cause of death was not provided
Burnett, from Lakewood, California, started his football career at Grambling State University in Louisiana before transferring to Alabama A&M, according to the school's athletics website. He played in seven games and made five tackles, inlduing three against Austin Peay.
On Tuesday evening, Alabama A&M had prematurely announced his death and was then forced to retract that statement.
In its erroneous Tuesday statement, the school's athletic department reported that it had been informed of Burnett's reported death by "an immediate family member," and "acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member" to inform the public.
However, on Wednesday afternoon, the department said that it had spoken to a hospital representative and learned that Burnett remained alive.
"We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information however, we hold complete joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition," the school said at the time.
A GoFundMe for Burnett had raised over $48,000 as of Friday.