On June 30, 2014, former standout Auburn tight end and fan favorite Philip Lutzenkirchen made a decision.
After a night of drinking, Philip got into the backseat of a Chevrolet Tahoe that was being driven by Joseph Ian Davis.
Neither Davis nor Philip made it out alive after Davis failed to stop at a stop sign. The vehicle hit a ditch and eventually skid into a church driveway, then struck a fence and flipped several times.
Philip, not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, was ejected through the back windshield and died at the scene.
Lutzenkirchen was a beloved and popular athlete, and built up quite a following during his time at Auburn.
Philip’s father Mike said that after Philip was killed, he realized there was an opportunity in front of him to not only carry on his son’s legacy, but also to teach student athletes the important lesson that came from his son’s tragic death, and so began the Lutzie 43 foundation.
“The girls [Mike’s three daughters Amy, Abby and Ann] said, ‘Dad, we should do a foundation,’” Mike said. “Philip was pretty incredible when it came to his strong character and strong faith. (He had) an unbelievable faith with God at such a young age. His community service and giving back, paying it forward to others, was phenomenal, and then we realized there are lessons to learn from what took his life.”
Those lessons, Mike said, are about making the right decisions, hence the foundation’s moniker, “Live like Lutz, Love like Lutz and Learn from Lutz.”
Through the foundation, Mike has spoken to high schools and colleges across the country, and on March 11, Philip’s story will come full circle.
At 7 p.m. that day, Mike will host a speaking engagement titled “Lessons from Lutz: An Evening with Mike Lutzenkirchen in the Auburn Arena.”
The event will be open to the public, and seating will be first-come, first-served.
In his speeches, Mike urges students to avoid dangerous situations, such as the one that took his 23-year-old son from him summer 2014.
“I really hit home on the four things that contributed to Philip not being here,” Mike said. “He abused alcohol that day. His blood alcohol was released six weeks after he passed and was an astounding number, and they made a decision to go out at 2:30 in the morning for something as silly as one of the guys wanted to get a can of dip. They were speeding, going 78 in a 55 on a rural road with no lights, no shoulders and they didn’t wear seatbelts.”
A family member’s death is a private matter for most families, but Mike said he isn’t hesitant to talk about the decisions that led to Philip’s passing.
“I’m not shy about sharing that,” Mike said. “When we first started the foundation, it was ‘Live like Lutz, Love like Lutz, Lead like Lutz,’ and when that report came out, it shut our family down for 48 hours, to the point of ‘Who are we to do a foundation? Who are we to get up front and talk?’”
But, even with the report of Philip’s BAC, like Philip, his father kept his faith in God, who he said convinced him to keep the foundation alive.
“God works in mysterious ways,” Mike said. “I had a clear signal. (God) looked at me, and (God) said,‘So, I love what you’re doing, but you’re missing something. I’ve made it public now, so now what are you going to do with that?’”
That’s when the message of Lutzenkirchen’s foundation changed its last sentence.
“To me, the Lord’s signal was, ‘You need to incorporate this,’” Mike said. “So that’s how we’ve come to ‘Live like Lutz, Love like Lutz and Learn from Lutz.’ In retrospect, it’s a stronger message.”
During his time at Auburn, Philip built up a reputation as a stand-up student, athlete and person on and off the field.
Mike said it was a surprise to him to see how much of a celebrity his son had become.
“(It was touching), but also crazy that a kid could grow the fame he grew because of being a football player,” Mike said. “A unique last name, made some plays, on the national championship team.”
Those are a few of the contributing factors that turned Philip into the Auburn celebrity he was, but his father said he believes most of the fan adoration came from the way Philip chose to act, both on the gridiron and in life.
“I think a lot of it was how he played the game,” Mike said. “He didn’t showboat. He was the ultimate team player, so the way he carried himself on and off the field, that’s why so many people were touched by it.”
Even with all the love and adoration for being the person he was, Mike said Philip’s death is an example of how a few bad decisions can end up costing the ultimate price for someone.
“When you do the right things in life, but you make bad decisions at any given time, there’s a combination of bad decisions that can just show you how quick you can be gone,” Mike said.
Former teammates of Philip’s echoed his father’s sentiments.
“He was a very caring person,” said Neil Caudle, Philip’s college roommate and former Auburn quarterback. “He was always thoughtful and worried about others more than himself. If anyone was ever not having a good day, he would do whatever it took to put a smile on their face.”
Another former Auburn player and friend of Philip’s, Cole Cubelic, who works as a college football analyst for the SEC Network, said it was Philip’s humble nature that made him the man he was.
“A lot of his guys that had his name or notoriety wouldn’t necessarily care to pull their weight in a friendship,” Cubelic said. “Philip always looked to go the extra mile to make sure you stayed friends.”
The passing of a family member is tragic for everyone involved, but in the case of Philip Lutzenkirchen, a tragedy has transformed into a legacy that won’t soon be forgotten.
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