Lutzenkirchen Remembered by Thousands at Memorial
A memorial for former Auburn football standout Philip Lutzenkirchen was held tonight in his hometown in Georgia.
His family, friends, and fans came out to remember the man who they say wasn’t just a football star, but a great person.   Â
Philip Lutzenkirchen’s life was cut short over the weekend when he was killed in a car accident in Georgia. Since then, people have taken to the internet to pay their respects and today, at both a viewing and a memorial, thousands remembered Lutzenkirchen.
Lutzenkirchen was remembered in his hometown of Marietta, Georgia at a memorial held at his former high school. Family, friends, and fans gathered to honor his life, including Auburn Head Football Coach Gus Malzahn.
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“He made you feel like family,” he says. “He also probably had more friends than any player that I ever coached. Old players loved him and that’s rare for a young guy coming in. A lot of those old players are here tonight. “
Alabama News Network Sports Reporter Brian Penter was also at the memorial Wednesday night. He was Lutzenkirchen’s best friend. He spoke with us by phone.
“Everybody is just trying to remember the good times,” he says. “We had a bunch of friends over last night and were just telling stories around the fire about Philip and we went on for hours.”
And Penter tells us those stories weren’t just about Lutzenkirchen’s athletic ability, but about the kind of person he was.
“He was the type of friend you would want. He was the type of son you would want, the type of brother you would want. And even though he was kind of like my younger brother, because he was younger than me, I aspired to be like him.”
As did others. Thousands packed Lassiter High School’s football stadium for the memorial. On the field’s two 35 yard lines were Lutzenkirchen’s numbers. 13, the number he wore in high school and number 43, the number he donned at Auburn. Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs says Lutzenkirchen will be missed.
“The first greatest commandment is love The Lord with all your heart,” he says. “The second is love your neighbor as yourself. And that’s what Philip did. He loved his neighbor.”
 The family will hold a visitation from 9:30 until noon Thursday at Transfiguration Catholic Church in Marietta, Georgia.A funeral mass will follow the visitation.
