Alabama A&M University Football Player Dies After Suffering Serious Head Injury in Game
Alabama A&M University announced the death of 20-year-old football player Medrick Burnett Jr., who died Tuesday, following a serious head injury sustained during a game.
Burnett, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker who transferred from Grambling State this season, was 20 years old. He sustained a severe head injury in a collision during the team’s game against Alabama State in October.
An end zone corner pylon before the Gasparilla Bowl between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the UCF Knights at Raymond James Stadium. (Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports)
According to his sister, Dominece James, Burnett suffered brain bleeds and swelling from the injury, which required a tube to drain to relieve the pressure. After two days of severe pressure, the family was forced to opt for a craniotomy, a last resort to help try to save his life.
Burnett played in five games this season, registering five tackles. He grew up in Lakewood, California, and was more than an exceptional athlete; he was a remarkable young man whose positive energy, leadership, and compassion left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him.
“Medrick was more than an exceptional athlete; he was a remarkable young man whose positive energy, leadership and compassion left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him,” said Alabama A&M athletic director Paul A. Bryant. “While words cannot adequately express our grief, we are humbled by the strength of his family, who stood by his side throughout this unimaginable ordeal.”