College football player Medrick Burnett Jr. is still alive, despite his university releasing a statement stating he had died.
The Alabama A&M student athlete is on life support following injuries he sustained in an October football game against Alabama State University, his family told NBC affiliate WAFF.
However, Alabama A&M athletics director Dr. Paul A. Bryant said in a now-deleted Nov. 27 statement that Burnett had died.
"Today, our Bulldog family is heartbroken by the loss of Medrick Burnett Jr.," the statement shared to the university’s website read, according to WAFF. "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.”
Emphasizing the school’s “deepest condolences,” Bryant continued, "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.”
Hours after the false report, the university worked to correct their mistake, noting that "an immediate family member" told them Nov. 26 that Burnett had died.
"Our staff acted accordingly to the wishes of the family member to inform the A&M community and beyond of this unfortunate occurrence," the university said in the second Nov. 27 statement, per ESPN. "Upon hearing from a representative from UAB Hospital this afternoon, we learned that he remains alive.”
“We express our regret for disseminating false information,” the second statement continued, per the sports site. “We hold complete joy in knowing Medrick remains in stable condition.”
Though Burnett is alive, he remains in the hospital fighting through complications from a head-on collision he suffered during the Magic City Classic on Oct. 26, according to WAFF.
“He had several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain,” Burnett’s sister Dominece James wrote on a GoFundMe fundraiser for her younger brother. “He had to have a tube to drain to relieve the pressure, and after 2 days of severe pressure, we had to opt for a craniotomy, which was the last resort to help try to save his life.”
Amid the false report of his passing, Burnett’s mother Denise Burnett told WAFF, “When the time comes, we will issue a statement about what we have been through.”