Medrick Burnett Jr. from Alabama A&M dies from head injury

This is the worst fear of every parent whose child plays soccer.

It happens every year in various communities across the country and involves high school students. This week, Medrick Burnett Jr. from Alabama A&M died from a head injury he suffered on the field last month.

Burnett, a redshirt freshman from Lakewood, Calif., was injured Oct. 26 during a game against Alabama State.

Via the Associated Press, Burnett died on Wednesday evening. He was 20 years old.

And football life goes on as always. Few, if any, will choose to stop playing when they hear of Burnett’s death. Most would agree, saying, as Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did last month, “Everything has a risk, and I’m willing to take that risk.”

The NFL hasn’t had a fatality since 1971, when Lions goalie Chuck Hughes died from a pre-existing heart condition. In July 2009, then-Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer predicted that a player would inevitably die during an NFL game.

“The truth is that. . . someone is going to die here in the NFLPalmer said at the time. “It will happen.”

It almost happened in early 2023 with a routine hit cordial confusion for Bill’s safety, Damar Hamlin.

If/when this happens, what will happen to the NFL? Given that the death of Medrick Burnett Jr. was adopted more as an afterthought rather than what the main story should have been, those who play soccer at all levels will probably be inclined to shrug, dismiss the situation as a coincidence and move on.

This doesn’t mean anyone should stop. Everyone has the right to engage in a wide range of risky behaviors. Many take much greater risks than footballers, for much less money. (Hell, some people pay good money for the rush of staring at serious injury or death.)

The thing is, when this happens, there seems to be little or no soul searching and re-evaluation. As Joe Burrow said after Tua suffered a serious concussion against the Bengals in late September 2022: “It’s part of what we signed up for. You will have head injuries. You will tear your ACL. You’ll break your arm. This is the game we play, this is the life we ​​live and we are paid well for it. I think coming to every match, we know what we’re getting into“

More than a decade ago, when the risk of brain injuries became clear and obvious, many assumed that football would fade away and die. Some in the media seemed to be rooting for this to happen, swerving to tie any retirement to a concussion concern.

And here we are. By the end of 2024, the game will be stronger than ever. People who play it accept risk. Even if accepting that risk means pretending you don’t notice when the risk becomes a reality for someone else, in the worst way possible.