Jared Mayden hated playing Tennessee more than any other SEC team, references program’s ‘nasty, pumpkin throw up orange’
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For old-school fans of the Alabama and Tennessee football programs, the Third Saturday in October holds a special place in their hearts.
Considering the Volunteers haven’t beaten the Crimson Tide since the 2006 season, the rivalry between the two programs has largely died down amongst the younger generation of football fanatics but don’t try to tell that to Jared Mayden.
The former Alabama defensive back may be currently preparing for the 2020 NFL Draft but the defender still holds contempt for the team that he went undefeated against during his college career.
During a recent Q&A session with fans hosted by ProCamps Facebook page, Mayden was asked to discuss his least favorite team to play.
That was an easy answer for the defensive back, but the reason had nothing to do with the competition the Volunteers provided — it had more to do with the program’s school colors.
“I’d say Tennessee. I don’t know why, probably that orange,” Mayden answered. “I think it was that orange, something about that orange, it’s nasty. Then the stadium, playing at their stadium, the away locker room is nasty. It’s all disgusting. The field is kind of, the stadium is shaped kinda weird. The fans is nasty.
“I never lost against them. I think I had my best games against them, my junior year and my senior year, had an interception and some good tackles. My play was never bad against them but as far as just playing the team and just, ‘Uh, like we playing Tennessee?’ That was the team that I just hated to play.”
The show host started to move on to another topic before Mayden offered up one final parting shot for the Vols.
“That Tennessee orange is like a different orange, like a pumpkin throw up orange. It’s nasty orange,” he said.
Who says the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry is dead?
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
