Alabama A&M player dies after injury in game last month

Alabama A&M University football player Medrick “Meddy” Burnett Jr., 20, died as a result of a severe head injury sustained during a game in Jefferson County, Alabama, last month, Coroner Matt Angelo said in a statement on Friday.

Burnett, a redshirt freshman linebacker from Lakewood, Calif., was injured on Oct. 26 in the annual Magic City Classic against rival Alabama State University on the field, resulting in multiple brain bleeds and swelling.

The Jefferson County coroner listed Burnett’s official time of death as Wednesday evening. He had undergone weeks of intensive care treatment, including a craniotomy, performed as a last resort to relieve pressure on his brain.

The Alabama A&M athletic department initially announced Burnett’s death Wednesday morning, but retracted the statement later in the day.

“Our staff honored the family member’s wishes to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate incident,” the university said in its retraction. “When we heard from a UAB Hospital representative this afternoon, we learned he was still alive. We express our immediate regret for the spread of false information. However, we are very pleased to know that Medrick remains in stable condition.”

Despite the confusion, the coroner’s statement suggests that Burnett died after the university’s revocation. Efforts by The Epoch Times to reach an athletic department spokesman Friday morning were unsuccessful.

Burnett’s family stood by him throughout his hospitalization and informed his supporters through a GoFundMe campaign organized to cover the family’s medical and travel expenses.

“He needs and will need a lot of care and his entire family lives outside of the state he is in and they also need to have housing to be able to support and support him on this journey,” his sister wrote Dominece on GoFundMe. “We don’t yet know what lies ahead, but we need all the prayers, support, resources and donations to help him and his family and continue to give him a chance to survive.”

Burnett joined the Alabama A&M football program in the summer after beginning his college career at Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana.

Wearing jersey number 51, he played in seven games for the Bulldogs this season and recorded five tackles, including three against Austin Peay State University.

The Mayfair High School football team released a statement on X Friday confirming the death of their former teammate and asking the community to keep Burnett’s family in their prayers.

Neither a university spokesman nor the Medical Examiner’s Office responded to The Epoch Times’ request for comment Friday. 29.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From the Epoch Times