KNOXVILLE – A few months before the dramatic saga that led to Jeremy Pruitt being hired as Tennessee’s head football coach, Pruitt took it upon himself to remind his Crimson Tide players of the history behind an upcoming rivalry game against the Volunteers.
“We joke about it all the time just because of his pep talks,” Crimson Tide senior cornerback Levi Wallace said. “Right before we played Tennessee, he gets us hyped for that. He’s always talking about how we’ve got to smoke the cigars afterwards.
“So it’s kind of funny seeing him go right to Tennessee.”
The irony is clear, but it’s also evident that Alabama’s defensive players still hold deep respect for Pruitt, even as he prepares to leave his home state and alma mater for the head coaching position at a rival school.
Several contributors to the Crimson Tide’s esteemed defense spoke to the Times Free Press during last week’s Sugar Bowl media day about Pruitt and what they expect him to bring to his first head coaching job. Alabama plays for the national championship against Georgia on Monday night in Atlanta, and then Pruitt will turn his sole focus to Tennessee.