The University of Alabama at Birmingham game against the University of South Florida went on as scheduled Saturday after a stabbing incident at the school’s football training center, officials said.
Two UAB players were injured in the incident at the Football Operations Building, school spokesperson Ted Feeley said in an e-mailed statement. They were in stable condition after being transported to a Birmingham hospital.
Another player was arrested.
According to the Jefferson County jail roster, 20-year-old Daniel Israel Mincey was booked by campus police shortly before 1 p.m. on charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder.
The school’s football roster confirms Mincey is from Florida. The 6-foot-4 offensive lineman from Pompano Beach transferred to UAB from Kentucky and is considered a redshirt freshman.
The victims were not publicly identified by the school.
More than 10 Georgia players are on the roster.
Another Georgia connection is Atlanta native Alex Mortensen, son of ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, a former AJC sportswriter who died in 2024. Alex Mortensen was named interim head coach at UAB after Trent Dilfer was fired Oct. 13.
“Our thoughts are with them and their families as they recover,” Feeley said. “UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students.”
The Blazers, who play in the American Conference, decided to move forward with their Saturday home game, which kicked off at 3 p.m.
UAB lost 48-18 and fell to 3-8 on the season. It closes its season Saturday at Tulsa.
Mortensen said players decided to push ahead in part because it was Senior Day at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham.
“The team as a whole decided they wanted to play, but we did have several players who understandably chose to sit out, and we certainly respect that decision,” he said during a postgame news conference.
“Our priority remains the health and well-being of our student-athletes, and we want to make sure they have access to take advantage of the support resources available to them,” said Mortensen, who played high school football at Landmark Christian School in Atlanta and collegiately at the University of Arkansas as a quarterback.
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