Auburn football: 5 most underrated players in Auburn Tigers history

Philip Lutzenkirchen is an Auburn football legend.

Philip Lutzenkirchen went about his business en route to becoming one of the greatest tight ends in Auburn football history. The 6-foot-3 and 258-pound tight end emerged as a starter for the undefeated 2010 National Championship team as a true sophomore. His 15 catches for 185 yards and five touchdowns were an integral part of the Auburn passing game and will be remembered for catching the game-winning touchdown in the comeback vs. Alabama.

Lutzenkirchen improved as a third-year player in with 24 catches for 238 yards and seven touchdowns on the 2011 Tigers. Despite having his senior season end prematurely due to a hip injury, Lutzenkirchen left Auburn in 2012 as the school’s record holder for most touchdown catches by a tight end with 14. He also had 59 catches for 628 yards.

But none of this is why he’s on this list. Lutzenkirchen went undrafted in 2013 before signing on as a practice squad player with the then-St. Louis Rams. That would be the last football season he’d ever take part of. On June 29, 2014, Lutzenkirchen and baseball player Joseph Ian Davis died in a car accident. Lutzenkirchen was only 23-years-old.

Though he starred for my high school’s rival and was only one grade younger than me, I never knew Philip personally, but a lot of my friends at the University of Georgia who went to Lassiter with him did. His high school teammate was my starting quarterback in Hutson Mason. Lutzenkirchen was destined for big things and it was heartbreaking when we lost him six years ago this month.