Many SEC football fans will remember Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm. A lesser-known Fromm, however broke onto the college football scene Saturday, breaking a 22-year-old losing streak and planting himself in Auburn sports lore for decades to come.
Tyler Fromm, brother to former Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, is a sophomore tight end. Fromm has played sparsely in two years, seeing his first game action last year against nonother than LSU, the same team he helped beat Saturday.
To his name, Fromm did not have a catch before No. 22 Auburn’s contest in Death Valley. When all was said and done, Fromm now can say he has four catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. But it certainly was not just any old touchdown.
Fromm caught his first career pass, and first touchdown for that matter, off the busted fourth-and-2 play that Bo Nix somehow created in the second quarter.
Spending 11 seconds running for his life, Nix connected with Fromm for Auburn’s first touchdown against LSU, stunning the 97,000-plus fans filling Tiger Stadium.
"I will never forget the vision in my head of the hair in his helmet flopping around while he was open," Nix said.
Fromm started the play flanking the right side of the offensive line and going straight into the flat. Fromm was immediately covered up, and was pushed back a yard or two before Nix changed course for the opposite side of the field.
Fromm’s last steps on his designed route saw him running towards the LSU sideline, around the LSU 24. When Nix’s pass hit his hands, he was about a yard deep in the front left side of the endzone, heading straight for the Auburn Marching Band on the complete opposite side of the field.
“Well to be honest, we didn't draw that up at all,” Fromm said. “I saw him roll out and I thought 'Heck, might as well start running.'"
The 24-yard connection left the stadium, announcers, LSU and even Auburn speechless as the original play was dead from the start. LSU’s defense had snuffed out the play, and three or four LSU Tigers had hit Nix in the backfield before he got his pass off.
In the end, it didn’t matter. A backup tight end put Auburn on the board. Fromm got the score, one that Auburn desperately needed and a score that ended up being one of the difference makers in seeing Auburn through to a 24-19 victory.
"Golly, I didn't think I would ever get my first touchdown here,” Fromm said. “At this point, I don't even remember catching it."
Right as the ball hit Fromm’s hands, he paused for a slight second. He doesn’t get his head around and he doesn’t look at the ball.
Maybe he was looking right at Shedrick Jackson, who was celebrating before Fromm recognized he was in the end zone.
He could be looking towards Nix, who said he never saw the end of the play because half of LSU’s defense was on top of him.
Maybe Fromm was so shocked that the ball found him in the end zone, that he didn’t know what to do.
But Tyler Fromm scored and the rest is history. Auburn won in Baton Rouge for the first time in 22 years and Fromm was a piece of that story. After the game, Fromm didn’t want accolades. He wanted to celebrate with his team.
“Score-wise we were down. But mentality, we weren't down,” Fromm said. “This win is all about us.”
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Henry Zimmer is from Jacksonville, Florida, and is currently in his fifth year with The Plainsman. He is currently the Sports Reporter and can be followed on Twitter here: @henryzimmer
