William Jewell College running back MicahJo Barnett dies after medical emergency in season opener
Junior running back MicahJo Barnett collapsed during William Jewell's opening game against Fort Lewis and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
MicahJo Barnett, a junior running back for William Jewell College, died on Saturday after a medical emergency during the team's season-opening game at Greene Stadium in Liberty, Missouri. Paramedics attended to him on the sideline before transporting him by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, local reports said.
Barnett had scored a touchdown earlier in the first-quarter contest against Fort Lewis College. The game was suspended after his collapse and later cancelled. The college announced a campus vigil for Saturday at 8 p.m. on the quad.
Barnett, a Liberty native, helped lead Liberty North High School to a state championship as a senior. He started five games last season, led the Cardinals in rushing, and missed the remainder of that year after a season-ending injury.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with MicahJo’s family, our students, the Cardinal Football family, and the rest of our community during this time of loss," the university said in a statement.