AUBURN, Ala. – Craig Ogletree, an All-America linebacker and co-captain of Auburn's 1989 SEC champions, passed away Monday of COVID-19 complications, his family said. He was 53.
Ogletree is survived by his wife, Sherrelle, and their three children, sons Austin and Dallas, and daughter Olivia.
"He was the kindest person you'd ever meet," remembered Pedro Cherry, a former teammate and corporate colleague at Southern Company. "He had a spirit about him that always made people feel good. You won't meet anybody who didn't love Craig Ogletree.
"He was a beast on the field but he was a gentle giant. He truly cared about making life better for other folks. Not a selfish or mean bone in his body. Someone everyone looked up to. He was like a big brother to me. He taught me how to build relationships. He had the best interests of everyone in mind.
"A kind, good-hearted man. I can't say I knew anyone with a stronger character than Craig. That's why this really hurts so many people."
A four-year letterman known as "Tree" to his teammates, Ogletree came to Auburn from Barnesville, Georgia, rooming for three years with fellow linebacker and co-captain Quentin Riggins.
"Great linebacker, great leader," Riggins said. "He'd make play after play. What most people don't know is that he was also an excellent student, a brilliant person. Great dad and husband. We just clicked. He was a very special person."
Ogletree led the Tigers with 11 sacks in '89. Of his 113 tackles that year, 14 were behind the line of scrimmage. Ogletree contributed to three straight Auburn SEC championships from 1987-89.
Ogletree played briefly in the NFL with Cincinnati before returning to the Plains to complete his degree in business management. He enjoyed a three-decade career in sales, marketing and management with Georgia Power while also serving as pastor of Greater Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Milner, Georgia.
"There's nothing he wouldn't do to make the communities he lived and worked in better," Cherry said. "People loved and appreciated him because he was genuine. Everything he did was done with the best intentions for everybody."
At the request of Coach Pat Dye's family, Ogletree officiated Dye's funeral service at Dye's farm in June 2020.All-American: Craig Ogletree helped Aubrn win three straight SEC championships (1987-89)
Seven months earlier, Dye and Ogletree returned to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the 30th anniversary of Auburn's 30-20 victory in the 1989 Iron Bowl when Auburn hosted Alabama for the first time.
"It was very exciting," Ogletree recalled on the eve of the 2019 Iron Bowl "The crowd came in early that week. It was unreal. It was about the second quarter before I settled down. It was like you were floating.
"It's probably one of the greatest things that's happened to Auburn football and probably Auburn University to have this game played here, the impact that it's had on this university, community and certainly the student-athletes who have played in this game.
"It is something we will never forget, being a part of this '89 First Time Ever. As Coach Dye said, we planted some big seeds, some deep seeds with some deep roots, and it's showing. A great game, a great rivalry, the Iron Bowl. There's none like it in this country. We're excited to be a part of a great history of a great university, a great Auburn family.
"That '89 team had a great group of leaders. We were trained by some great leaders on that '88 team. We didn't realize the ramifications of that game or the impact it would have on the Auburn family, but whenever I look back, it was a great time in history, one that I will never forget. The excitement building up to it, the moment, and now 30 years later, it's still alive."
Visitation will be Aug. 13 from 5-7 p.m. ET at the Lamar Fine Arts Center at 100 Burnett Road in Barnesville, Georgia. A memorial service will be held Aug. 14 at noon ET at the Lamar Fine Arts Center.
Craig Ogletree
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer