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Tributes poured in Wednesday morning, shortly after Alabama A&M’s athletic department announced the death of a Southern California man who was seriously injured in a football game last month.
The historically black university’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.”
The announcement caused an outpouring of sadness.
Rival Grambling State, to which this young man transferred, sent condolences and prayers through X.
Even the student’s former Southern California high school coach expressed “sadness and disbelief” over the 20-year-old’s death.
But back in Alabama, Lakewood resident and former Mayfair High School star Medrick Barnett Jr. lives on.
Why he was falsely reported as dead and why the news was spread and picked up by news outlets such as ESPN and the Associated Press remains a mystery.
Alabama A&M announced Wednesday that Barnett is stable and on life support. The university retracted its previous press release, apologized, and issued a new statement.
“We immediately regret spreading false information. However, we are extremely pleased to learn that Medrick is in stable condition,” the statement said. Ta.
Alabama A&M officials said they were informed of Barnett’s death by next of kin Tuesday night. According to Alabama A&M, the school notified the community of his death at the request of his family.
The university did not say with whom it spoke.
However, he confirmed that staff at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, where Barnett is hospitalized, reported him alive on Wednesday.
Barnett, a redshirt freshman linebacker, was injured on the kickoff of a rivalry game against Alabama State on Oct. 26, which Alabama A&M lost 27-19.
Barnett was “severely injured in a head-on collision,” his sister Domines James said in a GoFundMe post.
She said he had several brain bleeds and brain swelling, which ultimately led to craniotomy surgery to remove part of his skull to relieve pressure on his brain.
The family was hoping to raise $100,000 for medical expenses, housing for visiting family members and other expenses.
“Please pray, [Burnett] These are tough times, but we are persevering until the end,” James wrote in Wednesday’s update. “God has given us the strength to continue in the faith.”
An email to James was not immediately returned.
Mayfair High School football coach Derek Bedell said he spoke with Barnett’s father “at length” Tuesday night. They both believed Barnett was dead at the time.
“Everyone was hopeful until last night, but the news of his death was a huge shock to everyone,” Bedell said. “I think his father comforted me more than I could comfort him.”
Bedell said he spent all day Wednesday fielding calls from former teammates and coaches who knew and played with Barnett.
Once at St. John Bosco, he played two years at Mayfair as a linebacker and running back, graduating in 2023.
“Medrick was a player with incredible spirit, and I know it’s a cliché to say, but he had a zest for life,” Bedell said. “He’s a great person and a leader in the locker room.”
As a senior, Barnett gained 525 yards and seven rushing touchdowns in the backfield for the Monsoons, making 104 tackles, including five tackles for loss.
He attended Grambling State University in Louisiana and transferred to Alabama A&M this year.
“I don’t really know what happened to the information about his death,” Bedell said. “We just hope he continues to recover.”
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