The Iron Bowl rivalry may be as intense as it's ever been, but Auburn's Gus Malzahn and Alabama's Nick Saban put it all aside for a good cause Tuesday.



Both head coaches participated in the inaugural Lutzie 43 Invitational at FarmLinks in Sylacauga. Proceeds benefited the Lutzie 43 Foundation, which was created following the tragic death of former Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen in June 2014.



"I'm very honored to be a part of this in Philip's name and Mike (Lutzenkirchen, Philip's father) and everything he does with the foundation," Malzahn told reporters prior to the event. "It's just a great cause and it's an honor for me to be out here and be a part of it."

Malzahn also thanked Saban for showing his support.

"This is really something special I think, and sends a great message to a lot of people," Saban said. "I think Mike has done a great job of trying to promote this and send a positive message to a lot of young people and some things that maybe they can focus on that will have a positive impact on their life."

Lutzenkirchen quickly became a fan favorite at Auburn, where his 14 touchdowns remain a program-best for any tight end.

His most memorable play came in the 2010 Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa, when he caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton to complete a 28-27 comeback over Alabama. The Tigers went on to win the SEC Championship and BCS National Championship.

"He was a mismatch player, he was a very difficult player to defend," Saban said. "I certainly remember him catching the football pass, that beat us when Cam Newton was playing when they came back and beat us in 2010, which was a great football game. I just thought he was always an outstanding player and certainly represented, I thought, his university in a first-class way and set a good example for a lot of people in a lot of ways."

Malzahn said it's difficult to pick one memory of Philip as his favorite.

"He was the first player I actually recruited once I got to Auburn as the offensive coordinator," Malzahn said. "First in-home visit with the family, so he's always had a special place in my heart. Of course, he's one of the better football players I ever coached, too. The type of person he was, that's what everybody remembers. Great football player, but an even better person. That's his legacy."

Lutzenkirchen was killed in a single-vehicle accident near LaGrange, Georgia on June 30, 2014. Toxicology reports later showed he and the driver were both legally drunk at the time of the wreck.

The Lutzie 43 Foundation aims to "develop the character of young people and their influencers by focusing on leadership, charity, compassion, mentorship, hard work, honesty and faith through education and real world application."

Since his son's passing, Mike Lutzenkirchen has devoted himself to changing lives across the country as a public speaker. He shares the ugly details of his son's death, hoping other will learn from it and not make the same mistakes.

"It's emotional," said Mike Lutzkenkirchen. "You think you get this far past the journey -- the journey doesn't end -- but you think you're going to be strong, and certain things cause you to tear up when you hear Nick talking about Philip and Gus talking bout Philip. I think it just speaks to who Philip was."

Malzahn said Mike Lutzenkirchen spoke to the Auburn football team about a month ago.

"It was one of the better times for our players," Malzahn said. "They were locked in and took it to heart. They still talk about it. That's what Mike's He's going all over the country sharing the story. He's trying to help young people and old people all across the country with Philip's story."

Abby Lutzenkirchen, Philip's younger sister, played soccer at Alabama and called the tournament a "huge moment" for the foundation. She said the money raised will be put toward a number of scholarships worth a fitting $4,300.

"This is an incredible turnout," she said. "It's a testament to who my brother was. It's going to be a fun day celebrating.

"When the tragedy happened, (Malzahn and Saban) both set the colors aside and were there for my family. It just shows that on the field you can hate each other, but off the field we're just one big family in the state of Alabama."