"As great of a player as he was, he was 10 times a better person."
Those words were spoken about Philip Lutzenkirchen by his former high school coach Chip Lindsey on Monday, June 30.
Lutzenkirchen, former Auburn tight end and fan favorite, passed away Sunday, June 29, after being ejected from an out-of-control car outside of LaGrange, Georgia.
Officials pronounced him dead at the scene.
Over his four years at Auburn, Lutzenkirchen caught 59 passes for 628 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Auburn Tigers, but it was his impact off the field that left a legacy.
"At Auburn fan day in 2010, Lutzie (and Lee Ziemba) took extra time engaging with my four-year-old son," said Norm Baker, Auburn fan. "Any game I watched on TV that season, my son would inevitably ask, 'Now which ones are my friends?'"
Stories of Lutzenkirchen's kindness and selfless acts of charity are easy to come by.
Lutzenkirchen regularly visited cancer patients in Auburn and his hometown of Marietta, Georgia, and he spent an entire summer working with children at Youth for Christ.
"He saw the picture that I had drawn of him and really helped get it in front of a mass audience," said Lance Curry, business owner and Auburn fan. "That helped grow my small business."
In 2011, Lutzenkirchen made a young woman with Down syndrome feel "like a princess" when he took her to the prom at Lassiter High School, where he was a star athlete.
"He was my first big time prospect," Lindsey said. "He was all about the team."
Lindsey spoke of a game against rival Sprayberry.
Despite Lassiter scoring more than 40 points, Lutzenkirchen only caught one ball.
Lindsey took his star athlete to the side after the game.
"Don't worry," Lindsey said that night. "You are going to be our main focal point."
Lutzenkirchen responded, "It doesn't matter, as long as we win."
A key player on the 2010 National Title team, Lutzenkirchen entered Auburn and Iron Bowl lore when, after catching the winning touchdown against Alabama, he broke into a jig that would be named the "Lutzie."
"I told him after that catch that he was not just an Auburn player now, but an Iron Bowl legend," Lindsey said.
Gene Chizik, head coach of the 2010 National Title team, had nothing but praise for Lutzenkirchen in a statement released Sunday, June 29.
"Philip Lutzenkirchen was what every parent aspires their son to be," Chizik said. "He was compassionate, determined, honorable and full of love, integrity and respect."
Playing alongside superstars like Cam Newton and Nick Fairley, Auburn fans seemed to roar just a bit louder when Lutzenkirchen was called in the starting lineup.
"He was a role model for parents to point to when raising their son," said Brian Walker, Auburn season ticket holder.
The University of Alabama's football Twitter account tweeted, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and teammates of Philip Lutzenkirchen."
Auburn fans gathered at Toomer's Corner on Sunday, June 29, to celebrate the life of Lutzenkirchen.
"It's obviously a time for mourning, but we should also be celebrating what a great man he was and what he brought to the football team, to the Auburn family and the SEC in general," said Morgan Jackson, senior in english and daughter of Bo Jackson.
Lutzenkirchen spent the past year as an assistant position coach at St. James School in Montgomery.
Head Coach Jimmy Perry spoke of his instant impact.
"He still had a lot of passion for football," Perry said. "He was incredible at coaching the kids. Lutzenkirchen was a legend in the players' minds."
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