On Wednesday night, Alabama A&M officials expressed regret for incorrectly declaring football player Medrick Burnett Jr. dead.
Following what the HBCU’s athletic department described as a “unfortunate occurrence,” the 20-year-old player passed away after it was “originally advised by an immediate family member on Tuesday evening,” according to a since-deleted online announcement.
The sports department announced Wednesday night that “we learned that he remains alive after speaking with a representative from UAB hospital this afternoon.” “We sincerely apologize for spreading misleading information, but we are delighted to hear that Medrick’s condition is stable.
During a game last month, Burnett suffered a significant injury.
Burnett’s family reported many brain bleeds and swelling in an online fundraising. “He had to have a tube to drain to relieve the pressure, and after 2 days of severe pressure, we had to opt for a craniotomy, which was the last resort to help try to save his life,” the family stated on the GoFundMe page.
The athlete is still in the hospital, according to his family, who spoke to NBC News affiliate WAFF.
We will release a statement regarding our experiences when the time is appropriate. Denise Burnett, the mother of Burnett Jr., told the station.
NBC News was unable to quickly contact Burnett’s family for comment.
When the Bulldogs faced rival Alabama State in the yearly gridiron matchup known as the Magic City Classic, which pits the largest and most renowned HBCUs in that state against one another, the redshirt freshman linebacker sustained an injury on October 26.
Burnett transferred from Grambling to Alabama A&M and has appeared in seven games this season. On September 21, Burnett had his best game when he recorded three tackles against Austin Peay.
This season, Alabama A&M, which is 6-5 overall and 4-3 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), will play Florida A&M in Tallahassee on Friday afternoon.
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