Alabama A&M LB Medrick Burnett Jr. dies after a head injury sustained in a collision during the game

Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. has died about five weeks after being injured in a head-to-head collision during the Bulldogs’ game against Alabama State on Oct. 29. He turned 20 on October 27th.

Burnett’s death was announced Friday in a statement from the Jefferson County, Alabama, coroner. The medical examiner listed Burnett’s time of death as Wednesday evening. An official press release is expected on Saturday.

The coroner’s office making the announcement was important after Alabama A&M erroneously announced Burnett’s death on Wednesday after being incorrectly informed of it by “an immediate family member,” reportedly his father. Burnett’s mother and a UAB Hospital representative then told the school’s athletic department that the linebacker was still alive.

The school then withdrew the statement. Just hours later, Burnett was pronounced dead.

On a GoFundMe page (which raised nearly $50,000) set up for Burnett’s parents to help with his care, his sister said that Burnett had multiple brain bleeds and brain swelling. The brain was drained via tubes to relieve pressure and an emergency craniotomy was ultimately performed.

Burnett Jr. was a redshirt freshman linebacker from Lakewood, Calif., who began playing for Alabama A&M this season after transferring from Grambling State. He played in seven games this year and recorded five tackles.