Rod Bramblett, the prominent voice of Auburn sports for the last 16 years, and his wife Paula died from injuries sustained during a car crash on Saturday. They were 52 and 53 years old, respectively.
The accident happened late Saturday when an SUV rear-ended the Bramblett’s SUV as the couple was about to make a turn. Rod had to be air-lifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham to deal with a head injury, while Paula was taken to East Alabama Medical Center for her internal injuries. Both died shortly after reaching their respective medical destinations. The 16-year-old driver of the other vehicle was also injured in the accident, but his injuries were not life-threatening, according to police. The Lee County Coroner’s Office says alcohol was not a factor in the crash, though it’s still under investigation.
Rod Bramblett began his career as a lead broadcaster for Auburn in 1993, when he became the voice of the school’s baseball team. In 2003, football and men’s basketball were added to his play-by-play responsibilities, where he quickly became a household name. One of his earliest legendary calls came in the 2003 Iron Bowl when he capped off Cadillac Williams’s 80-yard touchdown run on the opening play of the game with “Go crazy, Cadillac!”
Of course, the call that will likely immortalize his voice will be the one from the Iron Bowl in 2013 when, at the end of Chris Davis’s 109-yard kick six, he yelled, “AUBURN’S GOING TO WIN THE FOOTBALL GAME!”
Bramblett had won the Alabama State Broadcaster of the Year award in 2006, 2010 and in 2013—the same year that Sports Illustrated awarded him National Broadcaster of the Year. Rod and Paula are survived by their children Shelby and Joshua.