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Report: Frequent Finebaum Caller and Auburn Super Fan Tammy Bullard Dies in Fatal Car Crash
Tammy Bullard, a well-known caller into The Paul Finebaum Show and avid Auburn fan, was killed in a car crash Friday in Talladega County, law enforcement officials told WRBL.
The 52-year-old superfan and her 3-year-old granddaughter died just before 8 a.m. on highway 280 between Sylacauga and Childersburg, Ala. Their vehicle collided with a commercial vehicle that was carrying some sort of explosive material, Alabama State Trooper Cpl. Jimmy Harrell told Alabama.com.
The truck overturned on its side, possibly from a blown tire, causing it to veer into oncoming traffic where it collided with Bullard's SUV. Both Bullard and her granddaughter were confirmed dead, while the truck driver has been flown to UAB Hospital's Trauma Center. No other information is available on his condition.
Bullard has been a die-hard Auburn fan for decades, calling into the Finebaum Show to support her favorite team, the Tigers, or to argue with callers from other fan bases. She was a considered a "regular" on the show, making appearances during the show's start in the 1990s as a Birmingham-based statewide radio broadcast through its current run as part of ESPN's SEC Network.
"It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our friend and loyal Auburn fan Tammy has died," Finebaum tweeted after hearing the news. "#RIPTammy."
The famous caller told StyleBlueprint about when she first called into the show and how she became so well-known for her tirades.
"Well one day, I was at work and I was griping about Auburn losing," Bullard recalled. "My FedEx driver is an Auburn fan too, and he said, 'Tammy, you have got to listen to this,' and he put it on the Finebaum show–on JOX 94.5 FM back then—and I listened to it in his truck for a few minutes, and I said, 'Hey, who in the world do these people think they are? These Alabama fans ain’t got nothing, not a clue!' Well, I tell you what, that’s what made me call … 'Shane from Center Point.' He made me so mad talking about Auburn the way he was talking about Auburn, and I just told my FedEx driver, 'Do you know this number?' and we waited for him to say it over on the show, and I called in right then and there and responded to 'Shane from Center Point.'"
Bullard also often discussed her husband, who happens to be an Alabama fan.
When asked about Finebaum, she told the publication: “Oh, I love Finebaum. He’s a ‘Bam, no doubt about it, but so is my mom, so that puts them in the same category and shows you how much I care about them. He’s really a super, sweet guy. There aren’t enough nice things to say about Paul. He knows a lot about sports, and I know people say he doesn’t. And he likes to keep the pot stirring, ain’t no doubt about that, because he sure can flip my switch! He’s still just Paul. I love him to death."
