Absolutely tragic news from the Plains on Memorial Day weekend as Auburn confirmed that longtime radio voice Rod Bramblett and his wife Paula passed away after suffering injuries in an automobile accident on Saturday.
“All of us in the Auburn Family are devastated by the tragic passing of Rod and Paula Bramblett,” Director of Athletics Allen Greene said in a release. “A nationally recognized broadcaster, Rod’s love for Auburn was fervent. You could hear it coming through the radio loud and clear each time he exclaimed “Touchdown Auburn!”
Bramblett, just 53 at the time of his passing, had been calling various games for the school dating back to 1993 and served as the primary radio play-by-play voice of Tigers football and men’s basketball games since 2003. He and his wife, both Auburn alumni who worked at the school, were driving their SUV just West of campus when they were rear-ended by another SUV driven by a teenager, according to the Opelika-Auburn News. Alcohol was not suspected to be involved and the driver also suffered serious injuries, though is expected to recover per reports.
The Auburn Family is devastated by the tragic passing of Rod and Paula Bramblett. 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/BiynTWHcIx
— Auburn Tigers (@AuburnTigers) May 26, 2019
“I’m heartbroken by the loss of Rod Bramblett and his wife Paula,” football coach Gus Malzahn added. “Rod was a true professional and was always a pleasure to work with. He loved Auburn and it showed in his work. As much as he loved Auburn, his family came first and foremost. This is a difficult time and we will continue to pray and offer our support to the Bramblett family, especially their children Shelby and Joshua.”
Bramblett’s booming voice that he used to emphasize Tigers touchdowns made him a fan favorite for fans around the state as he detailed the up’s and down’s of Auburn football over the years. He received plenty of national recognition in 2013 during the team’s run to the last BCS title game thanks to his incredible calls of a Hail Mary against Georgia and the miraculous ‘Kick-Six’ return by Chris Davis in the Iron Bowl to stun rival Alabama.
The Brambletts are survived by their two children, Shelby (a current Auburn student) and Justin. Thoughts and condolences go out to the entire Bramblett clan and the Auburn family.
