MicahJo Barnett, a running back at William Jewell College in Missouri, was playing in his team’s season opener against Fort Lewis College
Credit: JewellCardinals/X
NEED TO KNOW
- MicahJo Barnett, a running back at William Jewell College, died after suffering a medical emergency during a football game on Saturday, Aug. 29
- The game was suspended after paramedics transported the 20-year-old to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead
- Barnett was a junior business major, a standout high school athlete and an Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honoree
A 20-year-old Missouri college football player died after suffering a medical emergency soon after he scored a touchdown during his team’s season opener.
William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., announced on Saturday, Aug. 29, that running back MicahJo Barnett died earlier that day after experiencing a medical emergency.
Liberty Police Capt. Nathan Mulch confirmed to The Athletic that Liberty Fire/EMS paramedics were on standby — a standard practice for all William Jewell home games — when they were called over to the sidelines at around 12:20 p.m. local time during the Cardinals’ game against Fort Lewis College.
The Associated Press reported that the incident began only about 20 minutes after kickoff.
Mulch told the outlet that paramedics worked on Barnett for several minutes before transporting him via ambulance to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Credit: JewellCardinals/X
The Missouri-based Division II school’s game was suspended and later canceled, the outlet reported.
According to the college, Barnett was a junior business administration major and an alumnus of the town’s Liberty North High School, where he helped lead Liberty North to a state title during his senior year.
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Born in Shawnee Mission, Kan., Barnett had six siblings. He was a 2025-26 Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honoree, The Athletic reported.
“Our hearts are heavy, and we appreciate all of the support that we have received from the greater community,” William Jewell interim president Dr. Drew Van Horn said in a statement on Saturday.
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Citing live game statistics, The Athletic reported that Barnett scored a touchdown during the game with 5:15 left in the first quarter, giving the Cardinals a 7-0 lead.
The game was then suspended after Fort Lewis’ ensuing offensive possession, which ended in a punt with 4:32 left in the first quarter.
The college said in its announcement that it planned to host a vigil on the campus quad on Saturday at 8 p.m., and that students and staff were encouraged to connect with counseling services and the office of the chaplain.
“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.
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