A “devastated” Paul Finebaum said the news of former Auburn receiver Terry Beasley was “gut-wrenching.”

The 73-year-old former record-setting receiver died at his Moody home Wednesday evening and is being investigated as a possible suicide, Moody Police Chief Reece Smith told AL.com.

“When I heard, I was devastated,” Finebaum told me on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5.

Finebaum didn’t cover Beasley but knew him well. In fact, in 1980, as a cub reporter in Alabama, he was putting together an all-decade team, and the receiver was an obvious choice.

“Words do not describe his importance to Auburn,” Finebaum said Thursday. “I think if you look at the Mount Rushmore of Auburn football players, he is on there.

“I know you are like, ‘Wow, you have Cam Newton, Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan, but he would be next. He was that important. Without him, Auburn would have had that amazing success during Shug Jordan’s time. Pat Sullivan was a very close friend of mine. He told me many, many times that he had not have won the Heisman in 1971 without Terry Beasley.”

Beasley still holds countless program records at Auburn, including career receiving yards (2,507), most touchdown receptions (29), consecutive games with a touchdown catch (8) and most 100-yard games in a season (6) and career (12).

Throughout his playing career, Beasley is believed to have suffered at least 19 concussions, which cut his professional career short.

“If he had just passed away at 73,” Finebaum started before changing gears, “Considering his life was difficult because of the concussions, and, obviously, much more serious issues than that which were caused by that, it makes it even sadder and extremely difficult to talk about.”

In 1971, the year Sullivan won the Heisman, Beasley had 55 catches for 846 yards and 12 touchdowns. Bumper stickers reading “Super Sully and Terry Terrific” made their way onto countless cars in the Auburn area, supporting the offensive duo that helped the Tigers finish 9-2 that season.

“At the time, it was the most famous duo in college football,” Finebaum said. “It was Sullivan to Beasley. Whether you were an Alabama fan, Missouri fan, Kentucky fan or Florida fan, you knew that one.

“It was golden.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.