Auburn radio voice Rod Bramblett and his wife, Paula, passed away on Saturday night after suffering injuries in a car accident.
Bramblett, who graduated from the school in 1988, started his broadcasting career at the school covering baseball in 1993 before adding lead play-by-play announcer duties for basketball and football in 2003.
They had two children, daughter Shelby and son Joshua.
The Auburn Family is devastated by the tragic passing of Rod and Paula Bramblett. ?? pic.twitter.com/BiynTWHcIx
— Auburn Tigers (@AuburnTigers) May 26, 2019
Auburn athletic director Allen Greene issued a statement on the tragedy, courtesy of the school’s official website:
“All of us in the Auburn Family are devastated by the tragic passing of Rod and Paula Bramblett,” Auburn Director of Athletics Allen Greene said. “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!”
“As much as Rod loved Auburn and enjoyed working with his broadcast partners, his greatest affection and devotion were reserved for his family: his wife Paula, and their children, Shelby and Joshua,” Greene said. “The Bramblett children and Rod and Paula’s extended family and friends are in our prayers as we mourn the loss of this uniquely special Auburn man.”
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl also shared his thoughts:
“It won’t be the same without Rod. Ninety minutes before the game and 20 minutes after it, we spent time talking Auburn basketball. He loved Auburn, the student-athletes and the coaches and it showed every time he called a game. As good as he was at what he did, he was a better man. He was kind, considerate and selfless among so many other great qualities. Selfishly, I’ll miss my friend and his wife Paula. I just pray for their family.”
Bramblett had an opportunity to experience the Tigers’ first-ever trip to the Final Four and was most recently on the call for the baseball team’s SEC Tournament game on Thursday.