UAB Football Players Discharged from Hospital After Teammate Allegedly Stabs Them Before Game By Angel Saunders

Two University of Alabama at Birmingham football players have been released from the hospital after allegedly being stabbed by a teammate before a game over the weekend. 

The incident happened on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 22 at the UAB Football Operations Center, just hours before the team was set to play the University of South Florida, the outlets reported.

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, interim head coach Alex Mortensen gave an update on his players, but did not share the names of any of the individuals involved. 

“On behalf of the whole team, Mark [Ingram] and I also want to recognize the staff, trainers, first responders and medical professionals who showed great professionalism throughout,” Mortensen said, adding that they are “really grateful” for those who stepped up when it mattered the most. 

“The last thing I will say about the incident is that I’ve had the opportunity to sit with the injured players and their families,” he continued. 

Related Stories

Freshman Football Player Airlifted to Hospital After Suffering Severe Injuries in ‘Traumatic’ Incident at His School

Jets Player Kris Boyd Hospitalized with Bullet In Lung After New York Shooting

Mortensen told the media that the athletes and their relatives were “okay with me telling you that they’ve left the hospital and are recovering.”

“They appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers. I continue to ask for you and everyone involved to respect their privacy as they deal with what happened. I know there are still questions about the incident, but that’s all I will say about it at this time,” the interim head coach said. “The police investigation is still ongoing, so out of respect for that and the legal process, as well as the privacy of those most affected, I’m not going to go into any greater detail of the incident or individuals involved right now.”

Daniel Mincey was identified as the person facing attempted murder charges related to Peterson and first-degree assault charges for Underwood, WBRC 6 reported.

UAB still played against South Florida on Saturday, with the Blazers falling 18-48. Several players sat the game out after learning what happened to their teammates, WIAT CBS 42 reported. 

“We recognize the gravity of what happened Saturday morning and did very seriously consider not playing the game,” UAB Athletic Director Mark Ingram said at the press conference, the news station added. “That was not an easy decision, but it was only after we knew the injured players were stable and after a coach was able to have a very honest and caring conversation with our team that we felt comfortable with the game going on.”

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.