Late last night, scrolling through social media, I had heard the rumors and seen the stories. A two-car crash in Auburn, Alabama was said to have involved Rod Bramblett, the ‘Voice of the Auburn Tigers’ and his wife Paula.

This cannot be true, this cannot be true, I thought to myself. The storyline was shocking. The moments after were heartbreaking. A couple hours passed and it was confirmed that Rod and Paula had passed away due to injury in the tragic accident. One of the great play-by-play announcers in college athletics, gone in a matter of moments.

I never met Rod, Paula or the Bramblett family. I am by no means an Auburn fan either. But I have heard the radio calls, seen the plays, the setting, and the stories. How could a college sports fan ever forget them?

As painful as it was for us Georgia Bulldogs, we will never forget ‘The Prayer at Jordan-Hare,’ or the ‘Kick Six’ which came shortly after. There was ‘Go Crazy Cadillac’ from the 2003 Iron Bowl, a national championship win over Oregon, David Ross, the former Atlanta Braves catcher’s home-run in the 1997 Tallahassee Regional and so many other great calls.

Putting all sporting rivalries aside, sometimes you have to see between enemy lines. Rod Bramblett was more than the voice of Auburn. He carried the flag for the program and was one of the most recognized figures associated with the Tigers. Rod Bramblett was a college football legend.

Having called Auburn baseball since 1993, Bramblett took over the Auburn football and basketball play-by-play duties in 2003.

Just like Scott Howard, Eric Zeir, Jeff Dantzler, David Johnston and the rest of the Bulldog IMG Radio Network, announcers hold a special place in our lives, as we tune in on those autumn Saturdays, a cold winter night, and a spring baseball game under a glorious Georgia sun. Rod Bramblett was that voice, that connection and that friend for the Auburn fanbase.

Bramblett and his radio partner, Stan White, were the roars from within the jungle. In college athletics and particularly the South, your team’s announcer is like an additional family member coming to you electronically…painting the picture and cheering along with you. We all have fond memories, following the games with friends and family and hanging on the unique cadence and words of our favorite broadcaster.

If you haven’t had the chance to listen to some of Bramblett’s wonderful calls, I highly recommend you do. Below, you will find 40 minutes worth of great ones in this video thanks to ‘rscotta831’on YouTube.

Some may not see the magic in these calls while others cherish each and every single one like they are a souvenir or memento from days past.

Larry Munson brought you right to the field and those special moments with ‘Run Lindsay Run’, ‘Hobnail Boot’, ‘Massaquoi’, ‘Appelby to Washington’ and so many other extraordinary calls. It was as though you were with them at that time, clinging to the edge of your seat, praying and hoping for a miracle to happen just as Auburn fans were when Rod called the Tigers’ ‘Prayer at Jordan-Hare’ in the 2013 Georgia-Auburn game and the ‘Kick-Six’ game to defeat Alabama two weeks later.

“Alright, here we go, fourth-and-18 for the Tigers. Here’s your ballgame. Nick Marshall … stands in, steps up, is going to throw downfield. Just a home run ball and uh, it is tipped up … AND LOUIS CAUGHT IT ON THE DEFLECTION! LOUIS IS GOING TO SCORE! LOUIS IS GOING TO SCORE! LOUIS IS GOING TO SCORE! TOUCHDOWN AUBURN! TOUCHDOWN AUBURN! A MIRACLE IN JORDAN-HARE! A MIRACLE IN JORDAN-HARE! SEVENTY-THREE YARDS AND THE TIGERS, WITH 25 SECONDS TO GO, LEAD 43–38!”

As I scrolled through my feeds and read out all of the prayers being sent down to ‘the Plains’, I realized that the passing of Rod and Paula struck me differently. Perhaps it was the calls, those that will be engraved in the rich history of Auburn Athletics forever. Maybe it was the kids, who suddenly lost both of their parents on Saturday night or maybe it was both. With a combination of many sad emotions, I felt the need to express how much Bramblett meant to the college sports community and what his calls were like to me.

As much as it hurts to recall the moments of the 2013 edition of the ‘Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry’, I still remember the exact moment I watched Auburn’s final offensive play and the ensuing moments after. It was in the family room, with Georgia leading 38-37, just one play away from one of the rivalries’ biggest upsets. Marshall heaved it and when that ball dropped, you could hear a pin drop in our household. Complete silence and utter disbelief.

Yet two weeks later, minutes after Todd Gurley led the Bulldogs to one of their own come-from-behind victories over in-state rival Georgia Tech, Pat Dye Field would feature magic once again.

Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson made the television call on the 109-yard return but it was Bramblett’s version that would send reverberations across the country.

“Chris Davis is going to drop back into the end zone in single safety. Well, I guess if this thing comes up short he can field it and run it out. Alright, here we go. 56-yarder, it’s got—no, it does not have the leg. And Chris Davis takes it in the back of the end zone. He’ll run it out to the 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 45—There goes Davis! (White shouts “Oh my God!”) Davis is going to run it all the way back! Auburn’s going to win the football game! Auburn’s going to win the football game! He ran the missed field goal back! He ran it back 109 yards! [fans streaming onto the field] They’re not going to keep them off the field tonight! Holy Cow! Oh, my God! Auburn wins! Auburn has won the Iron Bowl! Auburn has won the Iron Bowl in the most unbelievable fashion you will ever see! I cannot believe it! 34–28! And we thought ‘A Miracle in Jordan-Hare’ was amazing! Oh, my Lord in Heaven!’Chris Davis just ran it 109 yards and Auburn is going to the championship game!”

It is events like these that make watching college sports so special. The passing of a true legend on either side of battle puts rivalry in a rather distant place, something that seems to disappear in the wake of tragedy. The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry lost a great piece of its worth on Saturday night and so did the sporting world.

Our condolences go out to the Bramblett family and all of Tiger Nation. We are with you in mourning and understand your pain.

War Eagle and Go Dawgs.

*Update*

A GoFundMe page has been started for the Bramblett family which we linked to below if you would like to donate.