Jeremy Pruitt is more than a football coach, and the former Tennessee head man proved that this summer during an appearance at a World Series of Poker Circuit event in Cherokee, North Carolina.

Blake Toppmeyer of the USA Today Network talked with competitors of Pruitt, who were by and large impressed by him, and reported that he held his own.

“He played like an experienced player,” said Daniel Pearlman, 48, an avid poker player from Miramar, Florida, who sat two seats to Pruitt’s right that night. “Most players are passive and weak. He did not play weak. He played a game of strength, and aggression often wins in poker.”

BetFTW! reported that in the No-Limits Hold’Em competition, which is the ninth event on the WSOP circuit, Pruitt finished 23rd with $2,964 in winnings. The total prize pool for the event was $404,625 with 415 total entries.

“He was actually pretty relentless at the table, in a good way,” said Preston McEwen, a 34-year-old poker professional from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. McEwen, who placed fourth in the event, played at Pruitt’s table for much of the tournament’s first day. Honestly, we had a table full of professionals, and he was definitely holding his own, putting a lot of pressure on people and taking down a lot of pots.”