UAB interim Alex Mortensen issues statement on stabbing incident, decision to play vs. South Florida

The college football world was rocked on Saturday morning by the news of a stabbing involving multiple players at UAB. The news trickled out ahead of the team’s game against USF.

One player is in custody, with Daniel Mincey identified as the suspect in the stabbing. Mincey has been arrested and was charged for aggravated assault and attempted murder.

At least two victims have been transported to UAB Hospital, per Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service. The university said in an initial statement that the injuries to the victims are considered to be ‘non-life threatening.’ Interim coach Alex Mortensen provided more following the game against the Bulls.

“I’m going to start with a statement,” Mortensen began. “Before we talk about the game, I do want to address what happened this morning. As you’ve heard, we have one player who is in police custody and two players who are in stable condition after sustaining injuries. More than anything, I’m grateful that those two players are in stable condition. And we will make sure that they have the support that they need.

“I hope you will join me in lifting them and their families in your thoughts and prayers, as our team is doing right now too. I also ask that you will please respect their privacy as they deal with what happened.”

The names of the two players who were involved in the incident have not yet been released. And Mortensen himself noted that there was only so much information he could share.

“Due to privacy concerns and the ongoing nature of the police investigation, I can’t provide any further detail about the incident or the individuals involved,” Mortensen said. “The team as a whole decided they wanted to play today, but we did have several players who understandably chose to sit out, and we certainly respect that decision. 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 and resources available to them.”

UAB did opt to play against South Florida. The team fell 48-18 on Saturday, dropping to 3-8 overall on the season.

Still, given the bleak backdrop behind Saturday’s game, simply playing at all was significant. Mortensen praised his bunch.

“I’m really proud of this team, the way they came together and competed today, even with heavy hearts,” Mortensen said. “This allowed our seniors to compete in their last game at Protective and it’s a testament to our team’s dedication to each other and to UAB.”