Lutzenkirchen family conflicted in state's biggest rivalry - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Lutzenkirchen family conflicted in state's biggest rivalry

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By Britton Lynn - bio | email
Somehow the Lutzenkirchens ended up with a son who's in his last season playing football for Auburn and a daughter in her first year of soccer at Alabama. Somehow the Lutzenkirchens ended up with a son who's in his last season playing football for Auburn and a daughter in her first year of soccer at Alabama.

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BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -

When the Lutzenkirchen family moved from Chicago to the deep south, they knew things would be a little different.

"The south loves their football, I can say that," Mary Lutzenkichen said. "I went to Iowa. I was a Big 10 girl and I thought, 'Gosh, that's big time.' Then you come here and it's a culture."

Despite being from the Windy City, the family was familiar with a certain rivalry a few states down.

"You grew up in the Chicago area," said Mike Lutzenkirchen. "You know the Big 10 was very big, but I can just remember we always watched the Iron Bowl, that was the game that was on Thanksgiving weekend."

But they never expected that someday they would become a part of the well-known in-state rivlary. Somehow the Lutzenkirchens ended up with a son who's in his last season playing football for Auburn and a daughter in her first year of soccer at Alabama.

"I never would have imagined that we would have children living in Alabama," Mary said. "Let alone going to Alabama then have them on opporsites poles of the Alabama (rivalry). It's been such a fun journey."

To the Lutzenkirchens, it's all fun and games.

"There is, it's always kind of playing, though we don't take it too seriously," said Auburn senior tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen. "I don't think you'll see me wearing any Crimson Tide gear and I don't think you'll see her wearing any Auburn gear, so..."

The Lutzenkirchens' unique situation has left Mike and Mary Lutzenkirchen a little conflicted.

"My dad, around home in Georgia, always wears an Alabama visor with an Auburn jacket," said Abby Lutzenkirchen. "I'm like, 'Dad, you can't do that. People are probably so confused.' My mom just has her little pin she wears to work. Literally, half the car has crimson clothes and half the car has blue and orange, so it's really funny."

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