Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr., 20, was initially reported dead after a head injury during a game. The university later retracted the statement, explaining they were misinformed by a family member.
The Jefferson County coroner’s office has now officially confirmed Burnett’s passing.
Alabama A&M Bulldogs linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr has passed away, as per the deputy coroner with the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner Office.
The 20-year-old was initially pronounced dead by Alabama University’s football program after he suffered a head injury during the Bulldogs’ game against Alabama State on October 26.
However, soon after issuing the statement, the university retracted the statement, saying that they had erroneously declared him dead.
They said in the retraction that it was issued after the university was “originally advised by an immediate family member of Burnett’s death on Tuesday evening.
Notably, Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner Office’s deputy coroner AJ Clifton told NBC News that they are not in a position to provide further information on the cause of the death. However, they said that they were planning to release a statement on Friday.