A 20-year-old Alabama College linebacker has tragically passed away just weeks after he sustained a head injury on the field.
Medrick Burnett Jr., died on Wednesday night following complications from a severe head injury sustained during an October football game.
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As reported by the Athletic, Burnett suffered the injury during the Bulldogs’ 27-19 loss to in-state rival Alabama State on October 26 at the Magic City Classic.
The university initially announced his death Wednesday but retracted the statement hours later after UAB Hospital informed them that Burnett was still alive.
Tragically, he passed away later that evening.
Alabama A&M explained the premature announcement stemmed from information provided by an immediate family member.
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“We retract the news of the passing of Medrick Burnett Jr, that was originally advised by an immediate family member on Tuesday evening,” the university’s athletic department said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“Upon hearing from a representative from UAB hospital this afternoon, we learned that he remains alive. We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information; however, we hold complete joy in knowing that Medrick remains in stable condition.”
The athletic department extended condolences to Burnett’s family after confirmation of his passing on Friday.
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Burnett, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker, was a native of Lakewood, California, as reported by the New York Post.
He began his college football career at Grambling State in Louisiana before transferring to Alabama A&M, where he played seven games during the Bulldogs’ 6-6 season, recording five tackles.
According to a GoFundMe campaign organized by Burnett’s family, the 20-year-old athlete sustained a “severe head-on-head collision” during the game, which occurred just a day before his birthday.
The family described extensive medical challenges, including brain bleeds, swelling, and the need for a craniotomy to relieve pressure on his brain.
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“He had several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain,” the family wrote. “After two days of severe pressure, we had to opt for a craniotomy, which was the last resort to try to save his life.”
Burnett’s older sister, Dominece James, who organized the fundraiser, updated supporters on Wednesday, saying: “Please pray. He is having a tough time, but we are holding on till the very end. God give us strength so we can keep the faith.”
At the time of writing, the fundraiser has raised $54,000 from a target of $100,000.
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In the last year, 16 players died from football-related injuries in the last year across the country, nine of which were in middle and high school, per a report by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research.
Featured image credit: GoFundMe
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Friends of missing Hawaii woman Hannah Kobayashi share ‘clues’ that her final texts may not have been written by her
By stefan armitage
Hannah Kobayashi’s close friends have shared what they believe to be a clue that texts sent from the missing woman’s phone weren’t written by her.
Over the last few weeks, concerns have continued to grow regarding the disappearance of Hawaii native Kobayashi, who traveled from Maui to Los Angeles on November 8.
The 30-year-old’s mysterious disappearance has been the subject of global media attention, as authorities and loved ones attempt to piece together her final moments – including her final messages.
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Per CNN, below is a timeline of Kobayashi’s final known movements and interactions:
November 8: Hannah Kobayashi travels from Maui to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), with an intended final destination of New York City, sharing an itinerary with her ex-boyfriend who proceeds to New York while she does not. Surveillance footage captures her exiting the plane at LAX in a black hooded sweatshirt and tie-dyed leggings.
November 9: Kobayashi is observed at a Taschen bookstore in The Grove shopping center, Los Angeles. On the same day, she conducts transactions via Venmo to two unidentified individuals.
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November 10: Kobayashi appears in a YouTube video at the LeBron XXII Trial event at Nike’s store in The Grove and posts a photo from the event on her Instagram.
November 11: Last known contact with Kobayashi. She texts her mother indicating she has not arrived in New York and sends distressing messages to a friend about being deceived and financially exploited by “Deep Hackers.” Surveillance footage later shows her at a downtown Los Angeles Metro station near Crypto.com Arena, appearing distressed and accompanied by an unidentified individual.
November 15: The Los Angeles Police Department issues a missing person poster for Kobayashi, last noted to be seen at LAX.
November 24: Ryan Kobayashi, Hannah’s father, is found deceased from apparent suicide near LAX. His family states that his death occurred after an exhaustive search for his daughter in Los Angeles, attributing his death to the profound grief of her disappearance.
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November 26: LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell updates the Board of Police Commissioners, revealing that investigations suggest Kobayashi intentionally missed her connecting flight to New York. He confirms that Kobayashi remained in contact with her family and active on social media in the days following her arrival in LA.
Now, friends of Kobayashi have opened up about the missing 30-year-old’s final text messages, and why they believe it “didn’t sound like her”.
Speaking to the New York Post, Ariana Ursua – who has been friends with Kobayashi since 2017 – said: “I had text messages with her and the ones on those screenshots do not feel like her.”
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Ursua, also 30, revealed how Kobayashi has “a very distinct way of messaging”, explaining: “All the texts I have with her — they have emojis,” explaining that her missing friend would often end messages with emojis of hearts, stars, butterflies, rainbows, etc.
The concerned friend described Kobayashi as a “free spirit” who wouldn’t just disappear.
“She wouldn’t just ghost out of nowhere,” Ursua said. “She was literally messaging me about Burning Man 2025 next year. She was literally posting about New York in October when she was going in November. She loved dreaming and making those dreams happen.”
And Ursua isn’t the only friend of Kobayashi’s to express concern over the final messages sent from her phone.
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Allisa Peterson – a former roommate of Kobayashi in Maui – revealed that the use of the word “hun” (short for “honey”) felt off.
“What was most concerning was the use of the word ‘hun.’ She does say loving words like that, but it felt kind of cryptic her message,” Peterson also told The Post
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One of the final messages sent from Kobayashi’s phone was sent on November 11, when she text her mom saying that she hadn’t arrived in New York.
Another message to a friend sent that day said: “Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind f**k since Friday.”
Another message read: “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds … For someone I thought I loved.”
“I’m just really scared love & the redwoods if calling me & I know I’m meant to be there, I’m being guided there, like you have before … I risk my freedom if this goes wrong for me hun,” another message read.
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Some of these messages have been shared in a Facebook group dedicated to finding Kobayashi.
Ursua also told The NY Post that she believes many of the messages sent are “cryptic”, adding: “I pray she’s still alive.”
Six days after her reported disappearance, Kobayashi’s family was hit with further heartbreak after her father – 58-year-old Ryan Kobayashi – died of an apparent suicide on Sunday (November 24).
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The Los Angeles County medical examiners confirmed the following day that Mr. Kobayashi had jumped from an LAX parking garage.
Our thoughts continue to go out to Kobayashi’s family and loved ones at this time.
