Medrick Burnett Jr., the 20-year-old Alabama A&M football player, remains in the hospital after getting a head injury on the field. Burnett’s family released a statement to clarify his condition after the school initially stated that he has died. According to WAFF, Alabama A&M has now deleted the release from the school’s website after stating that Burnett has died.
In a statement to WAFF on Wednesday, Burnett’s family said their loved one is still in hospital.
“When the time comes, we will issue a statement about what we have been through,” Burnett mother, Denise Burnett, told the outlet.
Alabama A&M University Athletics followed with an apology for the incorrect information.
“We retract the news of the passing of Medrick Burnett Jr., that was originally advised by an immediate family member on Tuesday evening,” the school said in its statement, per WAFF. “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.”
Burnett, a redshirt freshman from California, transferred to Alabama A&M from Grambling State and played in seven games this season, per NBC News. He was injured during a head-on collision on Oct. 26 when the Bulldogs faced Alabama State. The annual matchup between the two HBCU rivals is known as the Magic City Classic.
Burnett’s loved ones have launched a GoFundMe page which has raised more than $32,000 so far.
“His 20th birthday was October 27th and one of the worst birthdays for us because he was in ICU and not doing well,” the GoFundMe page stated. “He had several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain. 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.”
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