Growing up Lutzie
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Chris Fuhrmeister: I know you, your sisters and your brother were athletic growing up. Did you and your sisters regularly beat up on Philip, or make his life miserable in any other ways?
Ann Lutzenkirchen: We had a court in our backyard and played a lot of one on one basketball; we never really beat up on each other than talking trash every now and then. He never dared to challenge us in soccer (he should stick to using his hands!) and we tried playing football against him, but once he became double our size we decided to stop! I recently tried to prove that I was a better field goal kicker than him and made a 35 yarder! I did beat him in that, but the next day I could barely walk.
CF: Lutzenkirchen isn't the most common name in th world. Auburn fans have adopted "Lutzie" as Philip's nickname. Did y'all have any other name-based nicknames growing up? Also, I know Philip holds the Auburn football record for letters in a last name. Do you have any idea if you hold that record at Winthrop?
AL: We all have been called just Lutz in sports like it was our first name. I don't ever remember Philip having any true nicknames, except in high school basketball, his teammates called him "LandPhil" because he took up so much space in the paint and could pound some food at the team dinners.
I am not sure if we ever figured out about me holding the longest last name at Winthrop. There were a lot of foreign athletes and they probably had me beat.
CF: I saw you recently in an ESPNU promo, and I believe I've seen your brother in one, as well.
Did the folks at ESPN set those up together? How did it work?
AL: My school was located close to ESPNU and I went there a couple times to learn about the industry. They were looking for athletes to do quick pieces on and someone at my school mentioned me. It was my junior year, so it was Philip's freshman season. I don't think any connection was made then, but after last season and Philip's name being more recognizable, ESPNU emailed me and asked if they thought Philip would be interested in a promo too. I sent some pictures to them. I have never even seen either of them on air!
CF: You and your siblings have all gone to different schools. Did y'all need to get some space after growing up in a big family?
AL: No, we are a very close family. I love watching my siblings play and love hanging out with them. We were very lucky to all love schools in the southeast and decide to go to them. I know for me, soccer played a huge part in deciding to go to Winthrop and football for Auburn. Sports were why we first looked at the schools and then family came into play with our decisions.
CF: How did Philip decide to go to Auburn? At what point in his high school career did he discover that Auburn was probably the school for him?
AL: I think he knew he wanted to play in the best conference and the SEC is that. He looked at a lot of schools and Auburn always stuck out to him. He loved the campus and truly felt even without football he could see himself going there. He felt very comfortable with the recruiting process there and connected with the coaches.
I think he really made the decision spring his junior year. We were all there when he called and told Coach Tuberville. It was such an exciting day. I think we all went and grabbed pizza after to celebrate with the TE coach of the time, Coach Ensminger.
Then when Chizik took over, he made a point to come and visit Philip. All six of the Lutzenkirchens and Coach Chizik had a really nice dinner and Philip felt really comfortable with him and the direction of the program. That sealed the deal on Philip and Auburn.
CF: Finally, I have to ask about your youngest sister, Abby, who is committed to play soccer at Alabama. How did she make such a poor decision? Was Philip devastated when he heard the news? What was his reaction?
CF: Finally, I have to ask about your youngest sister, Abby, who is committed to play soccer at Alabama. How did she make such a poor decision? Was Philip devastated when he heard the news? What was his reaction?
AL: Like I said earlier, you have to picture yourself going to that school even if the sport you love wasn't a factor. Abby, like Philip with Auburn, fell in love with the campus, people, and staff at Alabama. She feels she can come in and make an impact on the team and is so excited for this next chapter in her life. Philip is so proud of her and is happy for her. He is a great older brother but will never be spotted wearing a BAMA t-shirt or ever will say "Roll Tide." I was wearing my BAMA shirt Abby got me for Christmas the other day and got my first "Roll Tide". I must admit I felt uncomfortable and prefer "WAR EAGLE!" That is something we all will have to get used to!
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So, there you have it. A couple of the big points that we took away from the interview were Lutzie's high school basketball nickname of "LandPhil," which is just spectacular, and that Ann is a perfectly sane individual for knowing that "War Eagle" is preferable to "Roll Tide." And it's nice to hear that, even though Philip is proud of his youngest sister, he won't be saying "Roll Tide" anytime soon. Ann signed off with a hearty "WAR EAGLE!," which really just made our day.
War Eagle, Ann.
