Los Angeles area grad on life support after suffering head injury in college football game

A graduate of a Los Angeles County high school is on life support after suffering a serious head injury during a college football game last month. His school had mistakenly announced he had died Tuesday.

According to KTLA affiliate WHNT in Huntsville, Alabama, 20-year-old Medrick Burnett Jr., a linebacker for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, was injured on Oct. 26 during the team's rivalry game against Alabama State University.

Burnett grew up in Lakewood and attended Mayfair High School. He joined the Bulldogs this past season after transferring from Grambling State in Louisiana.

According to a GoFundMe campaign started by his older sister, during the game against Alabama State, known locally as the Magic City Classic, Burnett suffered serious head injuries following a head-on collision mid-game.

"He had several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain. 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," his sister wrote.

His injury happened the day before his 20th birthday, she said.

Alabama A&M athletic director Paul A. Bryant released a statement to WHNT announcing Burnett's passing, and describing the 20-year-old as a "remarkable young man whose positive energy, leadership, and compassion left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him."

But a school spokesperson later recanted that statement, telling WHNT that they were given bad information and said Burnett remains on life support.

The most recent update on the GoFundMe page reads: "Please pray he is having a tough time but we are holding on til the very end. God give us strength so we can keep the faith."