Medrick Burnett Jr.: Alabama A&M football player dies after head injury during game

Birmingham, AL
AP
—

An Alabama A&M football player who suffered a head injury during a game in October has died, officials said.

20-year-old Medrick Burnett Jr. was playing his freshman season as a linebacker at Alabama A&M University when he suffered a head injury Oct. 26 during the annual Magic City Classic in Birmingham against rivals Alabama State University, the Jefferson County coroner said. in a statement Friday.

The coroner listed the official time of death as late Wednesday afternoon.

The Alabama A&M athletic department announced Burnett’s death Wednesday morning and sent a retraction later that day. The second statement said the first news of Burnett’s death “came from an immediate family member on Tuesday evening.”

The redshirt freshman from Lakewood, California, joined the Alabama A&M team this summer after starting his college career at Grambling State, according to the athletic department.

A spokesperson for the athletic department could not be reached by phone Friday.

Burnett played in seven games and made five tackles, including three against Austin Peay.