Alabama A&M LB dies month after in-game injury

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

The university announced that linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. died Tuesday evening, a month after he was injured in the Oct. 26 game against Alabama State. Burnett was 20.

The redshirt freshman from Lakewood, California, joined Alabama A&M over the summer after starting his college career at Grambling State.

“Today, our Bulldog family is heartbroken by the loss of Medrick Burnett Jr.,” Alabama A&M athletic director Paul A. Bryant said in a statement Wednesday. “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.

“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.”

Alabama A&M Mourns the Passing of Medrick Burnetthttps://t.co/pfgq3TIdWq

— Alabama A&M Athletics (@_AAMUAthletics) November 27, 2024

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