Auburn is mourning the loss of a standout linebacker from the mid-to-late 1980s. According to a university release, Craig Ogletree, a three-time SEC champion with the Tigers from 1987 to 1989, passed away on Monday at age 53 due to complications from COVID-19.
Ogletree, originally from Barnesville, Georgia, played under the legendary coach Pat Dye. In 1989, he tallied 117 tackles and a team-high 11 sacks, contributing to the Tigers’ third consecutive SEC title.
“Many don’t know he was an excellent student and a brilliant person,” said former teammate Quentin Riggins. “Great dad and husband. We just clicked. He was a very special person.”
After his college career, Ogletree was drafted in the seventh round by the Cincinnati Bengals, spending one season in the NFL before returning to Auburn to finish his degree. He later became a pastor in Milner, Georgia, and was chosen by Dye’s family to officiate his former coach’s funeral last year.
Ogletree is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.
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