Former Auburn QB, 1957 national champion Lloyd Nix passes away

Auburn legend Lloyd Nix has died at 87 years old, the school announced on Friday. Nix was Auburn’s quarterback in  the 1957 National Championship season and the 1958 season when Auburn finished with a 9-0-1 record and fourth place in the AP Poll.

Nix played halfback for Auburn and switched to quarterback ahead of the 1957 season. In his first year behind center, Nix was second in the SEC in total offense. The next year as a senior and team captain, he led the conference in total offense.

For his efforts, Nix was a two-time All-SEC honoree. He not only dominated on the gridiron but the baseball field too. In 1958, he was the first baseman on Auburn’s SEC baseball championship team and was named to the All-SEC team.

In his senior season in 1959, Nix tallied a perfect 9-0 pitching record. For his excellence in both football and baseball, he won the 1959 Cliff Hare Award as Auburn’s outstanding senior athlete.

Nix’s success didn’t stop when his playing days were over. After graduating from Auburn with a degree in pre-dentistry, Nix attended the University of Alabama School of Dentistry and then moved to Amarillo, Texas where he served in the U.S. Air Force.

When he completed his service, Nix moved back to his beloved Alabama and started a dental practice in Decatur, where he worked for 35 years until he retired in 1999.

Nix was an active member of his community, serving stints as the president of the Morgan County Dental Association, chairman of the Council on Ministries of Central United Methodist Church and board member for the Alabama Institute Foundation for the Deaf and Blind.

He also always stayed connected to the game that gave him so much, serving as the president of the Auburn Football Letterman’s Club, the Auburn Alumni Association and the Morgan County Auburn Club.

Nix’s efforts didn’t go unnoticed. In 2008, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Auburn University Alumni Association. Only three years later, Nix enjoyed the honor of carrying the crystal football onto the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium, signifying Auburn’s 2010 national title.

Nix was the oldest-living Auburn quarterback, following Vince Dooley’s death in 2022. Lloyd Nix was an Auburn man through and through, and Tigers fans will never forget his impact.