Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr’s GoFundMe page was flooded with donations after the university issued a false statement announcing the athlete’s death.

Alabama A&M retracted an earlier announcement that redshirt freshman linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. had died. The school said it was initially alerted

"We express our immediate regret for disseminating false information," the university's athletic department said after issuing a statement that Medrick Burnett Jr. had died.

Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. remains hospitalized with a head injury suffered in October, the school said hours after announcing that he had died.

Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. died Tuesday from injuries suffered in a game last month. He was 20. The injuries happened in a game against Alabama State on October 26. Burnett was a transfer from Grambling State.

The now-deleted statement from Alabama A&M athletic director Dr Paul A. Bryant read: “Today, our Bulldog family is heartbroken by the loss of Medrick Burnett Jr. “Medrick was more than an exceptional athlete;