Patrick Joseph Sullivan was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and would attend John Carroll Catholic High School. A three-sport star in high school, Sullivan would excel in baseball, basketball, and of course football.

Sullivan came to Auburn in 1968 and played on the freshman team. In 1969, he took over as the starting quarterback for the varsity team and would lead the Tigers to a 26-7 record over his career. As the Auburn QB, Sullivan would break multiple school and NCAA records, including passing yards and yards per play. Following his senior year, Sullivan would be named MVP in the 1972 Senior Bowl.

Sullivan’s senior campaign in 1971 was enough to win the coveted Heisman Trophy, named after former Auburn football coach John Heisman. The connection of Sullivan and Terry Beasley would lead the Tigers to a 9-2 record on the year.

The 1971 game against rival Georgia in Athens would be Sullivan’s defining “Heisman Moment” game. Sullivan would pass for 248 yards and four touchdowns. Georgia head coach Vince Dooley would say after the game, “We were simply beaten by the best quarterback I have ever seen, bar none.” It was a game that Sullivan could do no wrong and the Heisman voters took notice.

Sullivan would edge out Cornell University running back Ed Marinaro in what was the closest vote in Heisman history. Sullivan would earn 355 first-place votes as Marinaro garnered 295.

Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1972, Sullivan would spend the next five years between three different NFL teams. After his playing days were over, Sullivan worked in private business in the Birmingham area. He would spend five years calling Auburn football games as the radio color commentator with Jim Fyffe before joining Auburn’s coaching staff in 1986. Sullivan would spend six years as the Tigers’ quarterback coach, a stretch that Auburn would win three SEC titles.

In 1992, Sullivan was named the head coach at TCU. After inheritting a TCU program that had been heavily punished by NCAA violations, Sullivan led the Horned Frogs to a share of the Southwestern Conference title in 1994, the school’s first title since 1959.

In 1994, Sullivan agreed in principle to take over the helm at LSU, but LSU didn’t pay Sullivan’s buyout with TCU and instead hired Gerry DiNardo from Vanderbilt. Sullivan would return to TCU for a few more years. During that time, he recruited famed running back LaDainian Tomlinson to Fort Worth.

After resigning from TCU in 1997, Sullivan joined UAB’s staff in 1999 as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. There, Sullivan would coach wide receiver Roddy White who would have a successful career with the Atlanta Falcons.

In 2006, Sullivan was named the head coach at Samford University. Two years later, the Bulldogs joined the Southern Conference and would win the title in 2013. After eight years as coach, Sullivan resigned in 2014.

In 2003, Sullivan was diagnosed with throat cancer. Despite being deemed clear of cancer in 2004, Sullivan would continue to battle the disease throughout the rest of his life. Sullivan died on December 1, 2019.

To commemorate the school’s first Heisman Trophy winner, Auburn players all wore #7 decals on the left side of the helmet during the January 1, 2021 Outback Bowl against Minnesota. It was the first time the number had been worn by an Auburn Football player on-field since being retired.