Tributes rolled in Wednesday morning shortly after Alabama A&M’s athletic department announced the death of a Southern California native who suffered severe injuries in a football game last month.
The historically Black college’s athletic director praised the student-athlete as “a remarkable young man whose positive energy, leadership, and compassion left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him.”
That announcement led to an outpouring of grief.
Rival Grambling State, where the young man had transferred from, sent condolences and prayers via X.
Even the student’s former Southern California high school coach spoke of his “grief and disbelief” over the 20-year-old’s passing.
Back in Alabama, however, Medrick Burnett Jr., a Lakewood resident and former star at Mayfair High School, remained alive.
Why he was erroneously reported as dead and why the news was disseminated and picked up by outlets such as ESPN and the Associated Press remains a mystery.
Burnett is listed as stable but on life support, Alabama A&M confirmed Wednesday. The university retracted its earlier news release, apologized and issued a new statement.
“We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information; however, we hold complete joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition,” the statement said.
Alabama A&M officials said they were advised by an immediate family member Tuesday evening of Burnett’s passing. The school informed the community of his death as requested by that family member, according to Alabama A&M.
The university did not confirm whom they spoke with.
They did acknowledge, however, that staff from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, where Burnett is hospitalized, informed them Wednesday that he was alive.
Burnett, a redshirt freshman linebacker, was injured on a kickoff on Oct. 26 in a rivalry game against Alabama State, which Alabama A&M lost 27-19.
His sister Dominece James said on a GoFundMe post that Burnett was “severely injured after a head-on-head collision.”
She said he had several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain that eventually led to a craniotomy, a procedure that removes part of the skull to relieve pressure on the brain.
The family was hoping to raise $100,000 for medical bills, housing of visiting family members and other expenses.
“Please pray, [Burnett] is having a tough time but we are holding on till the very end,” James wrote in an update Wednesday. “God give us strength so we can keep the faith.”
An email to James was not immediately returned.
His Mayfair High School football coach, Derek Bedell, said he spoke with Burnett’s father “at great length” Tuesday night. Both men believed that Burnett was dead at the time.
“Everybody was hopeful until last night, and the report of his death was a tremendous shock to all,” Bedell said. “I think his father consoled me more than I consoled him.”
Bedell said he fielded calls all day Wednesday from former teammates and coaches who knew and played with Burnett.
The onetime St. John Bosco transfer played two years at linebacker and running back at Mayfair, graduating in 2023.
“Medrick is an incredible spirit, and I know it’s a cliche but he had a zest for life,” Bedell said. “He is a fantastic person in the locker room and a leader.”
His senior year, Burnett led the Monsoons with 525 yards and seven rushing touchdowns in the backfield, while racking 104 tackles, including five tackles for a loss.
He moved on to Grambling State in Louisiana before transferring this year to Alabama A&M.
“I’m not really sure what happened with the information around his death,” Bedell said. “I just hope that he’ll continue to recover.”
