Philip Lutzenkirchen died June 2014 in a one-vehicle accident in LaGrange as a passenger in a car driven by a friend who also died.
The Marietta native set records on the football fields of Lassiter and Auburn University. Following his death in the alcohol-fueled crash, Lutzenkirchen's family has worked to spread a message of social responsibility to student athletes through the "Lutzie 43" Foundation.
On Tuesday May 24, the Lutzie 43 Foundation will host an invitational 18-hole scramble style golf tournament at Farmlinks Golf Club at Pursell Farm in Sylacauga, Ala., that will have the celebrity star power Auburn coach Gus Malzahn and Alabama's Nick Saban.
The event, which also will have a dinner and program emceed by ESPN's Tom Rinaldi, will helps raise funds to support Lutzie 43 Foundation programs.
Lutzenkirchen was one of the state’s top college prospects out of Lassiter High School in Marietta in 2009 when he signed with Auburn. While at Lassiter, the 6-foot-5 Lutzenkirchen caught 72 passes for 1,000 yards, was named the No. 6 tight end by ESPN.com, and was named to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Super Southern 100. At Auburn, he went on to rank first in the number of touchdown catches by a tight end: 14, still the school record. He was a member of the Tigers’ 2010 national championship team. He was an undrafted rookie with the St. Louis Rams, but did not make the roster.
The football field at Lassiter is called "Lutzie 43 Field" in his honor.
