AUBURN, Ala. – Long-time Auburn Tigers play-by-play announcer Rod Bramblett and his wife are dead after a car wreck Saturday night.
Around 11:30 p.m., reports that Bramblett had died as a result of his injuries started circulating on social media. He was airlifted to a Birmingham hospital immediately following the wreck. He was 53 years old.
His wife Paula, 52, died earlier in the evening after being originally airlifted and diverted to East Alabama Medical Center.
In a statement from the Lee County Coroner Bill Harris:
“The fatality accident victims in Saturday’s two vehicle collision in Auburn were 53-year-old Rod Bramblett and his wife, 52-year-old Paula Bramblett, of Auburn. Paula Bramblett died at 7:50 PM in the emergency room of East Alabama Medical Center from multiple injuries and Rod Bramblett, known as the “Voice of the Auburn Tigers”, died at UAB Hospital in Birmingham from a severe closed head injury. The name of the 16-year-old driver of the other vehicle is not being released at this time. The accident remains under investigation by the Auburn Police and the Lee County Coroner’s Office.
An earlier statement by Harris noted that “the driver of the other vehicle was taken by ambulance to East Alabama Medical Center emergency room with non-life threatening injuries.”
He also added “alcohol was not a factor in the accident.”
In a written statement and via Twitter from the Auburn Athletics Department earlier in the evening: “Rod Bramblett, the Voice of the Auburn Tigers, and his wife, Paula, were involved in a serious car accident early Saturday evening in Auburn. We ask the Auburn Family to keep the Bramblett family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Rod Bramblett, the Voice of the Auburn Tigers, and his wife, Paula, were involved in a serious car accident early Saturday evening in Auburn. We ask the Auburn Family to keep the Bramblett family in your thoughts and prayers.
— Auburn Tigers (@AuburnTigers) May 26, 2019
Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn and men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl took to Twitter late Saturday night with thoughts and prayers.
Praying for the Bramblett family! ?? https://t.co/4LstzJZlf9
— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) May 26, 2019
You will not find a kinder, more unselfish sole than Rod. His love for Auburn, our student athletes and coaches is genuine and heard loud and clear. Praying for Rod, Paula and Bramblett Family https://t.co/XXdvs7oafX
— Bruce Pearl (@coachbrucepearl) May 26, 2019
According to AuburnTigers.com, Bramblett began his tenure at Auburn in February 1993. He was in charge of day-to-day radio operations for Auburn Sports Properties, Auburn Athletics multi-media rights holder. He was also the Lead Announcer/Voice of the Auburn Tigers for Auburn football, men’s basketball and baseball. He served as the Voice of the Auburn baseball team since 1993. He took over for play-by-play duties for football and men’s basketball in 2003. Bramblett was also the host for the Auburn Football Review television show, while serving as a producer for the Auburn Football Every Day and Auburn Basketball Review television shows.
Bramblett began his broadcasting career in Lanett, Ala., working part-time at WZZZ/WCJM radio stations while attending Auburn University. From there he went on to work in Auburn at WAUD from 1989-1991 and then again from 1993-1996. It was at that time he did play-by-play for Lee-Scott Academy and Auburn High School athletics. In the one-year away from WAUD he worked in Morristown, Tenn., for two different radio stations where he served as the play-by-play voice of Morristown West High School football. Bramblett is a three-time winner (2006, 2010, 2013) of the Alabama State Broadcaster of the Year as presented by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He was also named National Broadcaster of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 2013.
Bramblett is a native of Valley, Ala. They have two children, a daughter Shelby and a son Joshua.
Bramblett will always be remembered for his iconic ‘Kick Six’ call during the 2013 Iron Bowl.
On this date in 2013, Auburn won the football game. pic.twitter.com/czCEnhMdqM
— ESPN (@espn) November 30, 2018
In 2018, AL.com relived the Top 5 calls of Bramblett’s time at Auburn.
