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Alabama A&M football player remains alive in hospital despite announcement of death
Published:
Alabama A&M announced on Wednesday that linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. had died this week from injuries sustained after a head-on-head collision in an October football game. Hours later, the school revealed that Burnett is still alive and in the hospital.
According to the AP, Alabama A&M issued a retraction that claimed the initial news of Burnett’s death came from an “immediate family member” Tuesday night. Burnett is in stable condition at a hospital in Birmingham
“Our staff acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate occurrence,” the school said in a statement. “Upon hearing from a representative from UAB Hospital this afternoon, we learned that he remains alive.
“We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information. However, we hold complete joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition.”
An update on the GoFundMe page Wednesday said Burnett is “having a tough time” but that the family is “holding on til the very end.”
Burnett, a 6-foot-2 native of Lakewood, California, played at Mayfair High School and began his college football career at Grambling State University before transferring to Alabama A&M.
He played in 7 games for the Bulldogs this season and recorded 5 tackles.
Update (Nov. 29):
Burnett has reportedly passed away. He was pronounced dead on Wednesday evening by Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Matt Angelo.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
