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Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29

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Lee savoring ‘Alabama state championship’ for the Vols

Tennessee Athletics photo / Tennessee senior cornerback Kayin Lee enjoyed his first victory over Alabama after playing the past three seasons at Auburn.
Tennessee Athletics photo / Tennessee senior cornerback Kayin Lee enjoyed his first victory over Alabama after playing the past three seasons at Auburn. Tennessee Athletics photo / Tennessee senior cornerback Kayin Lee enjoyed his first victory over Alabama after playing the past three seasons at Auburn.

The Tennessee Volunteers clinched their first “Alabama state championship” since 1999 this past Saturday afternoon, defeating Alabama 26-10 two weeks after downing Auburn 24-14.

For Vols senior cornerback Kayin Lee, the accomplishment was a bit more unique compared to his teammates.

The 5-foot-11, 191-pound senior from Ellenwood, Georgia, played the past three seasons at Auburn, coming up empty each time with the Tigers in the Iron Bowl. He not only tasted a long-awaited win over Alabama but intercepted Crimson Tide quarterback Keelon Russell in the end zone with 48 seconds to play, snuffing out the final hope of any kind of miracle.

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“It felt good,” Lee said Monday in a news conference. “It felt like that was my biggest welcome to Neyland Stadium moment, getting that win. The interception felt really good also.”