Coroner confirms death of Alabama A&M player

A coroner has officially confirmed the death of Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr., four weeks after he sustained a head injury in a game.

The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office pronounced Burnett, 20, dead on Wednesday. His passing was prematurely announced earlier in the week while Burnett apparently was still on life support at UAB Hospital.

According to a GoFundMe page from his sister, Dominece James, Burnett was injured in a head-to-head collision in the Bulldogs’ 27-19 loss against Alabama State in the Magic City Classic at Birmingham on Oct 26. James said her brother had severe brain swelling and bleeding.

Burnett, a redshirt freshman from Lakewood, Calif., had five tackles in seven games this season after transferring from Grambling State.