Alabama A&M Bulldogs first-year linebacker Medrick Barnett Jr. died Wednesday at the age of 20, just one month after sustaining a serious head injury during an Oct. 26 game against Alabama State. passed away tragically.
News of Barnett's death came days after the school issued a false statement that the young player had died from his injuries, even though he was still alive at the time.
An overall view of the end zone corner pylon before a college football game. (Jacen Binlove-USA Today Sports)
Barnett, a redshirt freshman from Lakewood, Calif., suffered the head injury last month during the school's annual Magic City Classic against its in-state rivals. Barnett's sister, Domines James, said at the fundraiser that Barnett was injured in a “head-on collision.”
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“He had several brain haemorrhages and swelling in his brain. They had to put tubes in to relieve the pressure, but after two days of intense pressure we decided to do craniotomy. We had no choice but to do so and it was our last resort. Please help us save his life,” her first post read.
Alabama A&M University issued a statement Wednesday morning acknowledging Barnett's death, but later retracted the statement, saying it had received incorrect information from the family.
“Our staff acted in accordance with the family's desire to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate event,” the second statement reads. “This afternoon I heard from a representative from UAB Hospital and found out he is still alive.
Football on a high school football field. (Getty Images)
Alabama A&M says football player is 'alive' after previously announcing he had died
“We immediately regret any misinformation that was disseminated. However, we are pleased to learn that Medrick is in stable condition.”
An update provided by Barnett's sister, posted Wednesday, said: “Please keep him in your prayers as he is going through a difficult time. But we are holding on to the end. May God give us strength to continue to protect it.”
According to multiple reports, the Jefferson County Coroner's Office reported that Barnett was pronounced dead at 5:43 p.m. Wednesday.
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Barnett started his collegiate career at Grambling State University before joining Alabama A&M's team in the summer. He appeared in seven games and had five tackles, including three against Austin Peay.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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