Rod Bramblett

From Bhamwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Rod Bramblett (born November 5, 1965 in Valley, Chambers County; died May 25, 2019 in Auburn) was the radio play-by-play announcer for the Auburn Tigers football, basketball and baseball teams.

Bramblett grew up in Valley and graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in history in 1988. He began working part time at WZZZ and WCJM in Lanett while in college and, after graduating, took a job with WAUD. He returned to that station after a brief foray with two stations in Morristown, Tennessee where he began calling plays for Morristown West High School. From 1993 to 1996 he served a play-by-play announcer for Auburn High School and Lee-Scott Academy.

Bramblett began calling baseball games for Auburn University in 1992 and succeeded Jim Fyffe as lead announcer for football and basketball in June 2003. He was partnered with color commentator Stan White. Bramblett also held the positions of Director of Broadcast Services for the Auburn Network and host of "Tiger Talk" and the Auburn Football Review. He was named "Alabama Sportscaster of the Year" in 2006, 2010 and 2013, and was also recognized by Sports Illustrated as Play-by-Play Announcer of the Year in 2013.

The 2013 football season featured some of Bramblett's most memorable calls, including the "Miracle in Jordan-Hare" when Ricardo Louis intercepted Georgia quarterback Nick Marshall's deflected pass on 4th and 18 and returned it for a touchdown. Bramblett recalled the play as, "the most incredible, phenomenal, improbable, maybe impossible moment that I've ever witnessed and had the opportunity to call." That play was soon eclipsed by Chris Davis's 109-yard return of Alabama kicker Adam Griffith's missed field goal with one second remaining in the 2013 Iron Bowl to send Auburn to the 2013 Southeastern Conference Championship Game. He also called Auburn's advancement through the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

Bramblett and his wife, the former Paula East, had two children, Shelby and Joshua.

Rod and Paula Bramblett were both killed when their SUV was rear ended in a turn lane at the intersection of Shug Jordan Parkway and West Samford Avenue in Auburn on May 25, 2019. The driver of the other car, a high school student, told police he had fallen asleep at the wheel. An investigation later determined that he had been speeding and had marijuana in his system. He was charged with manslaughter and released on bond. His bond was later revoked when he was pulled over for speeding and reckless driving in December 2019, and again when a drug screening found elevated levels of alcohol in his system.

A memorial service for the Brambletts was held at the Auburn Arena on May 30.

References

  • Sandomir, Richard (December 2, 2013) "Auburn Announcer Has the Call of a Lifetime, Twice in One Month" The New York Times
  • Turner, Troy (May 25, 2019) "Voice of the Auburn Tigers' Rod Bramblett, wife both killed in tragic car accident". Opelika-Auburn News
  • "Rod Bramblett" (May 28, 2019) Wikipedia - accessed June 9, 2019
  • Robinson, Carol (June 7, 2019) "Teen told Auburn police he fell asleep before wreck that killed Rod and Paula Bramblett." The Birmingham News
  • Robinson, Carol (July 1, 2019) "Rod and Paula Bramblett: Teen charged with manslaughter after testing positive for weed, police say." The Birmingham News