Jalen Hurts celebrates Alabama’s win over Tennessee in proper fashion

Despite losing Tua Tagovailoa to a lower-leg injury, Alabama kept its perfect season alive with a 35-13 win over Tennessee in Tuscaloosa. The victory boosted the Tide’s record to 7-0 heading into another home game against Arkansas this Saturday.

Thousands of miles away in Norman, Oklahoma, one person of particular interest did his part in celebrating the win.

Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts, formerly the signal-caller at Alabama before transferring out west, is apparently still keeping an eye on things at his previous school. And he enjoyed the Crimson Tide’s victory over the Vols the only way he knew how.

Big Mood?? #SmokeEmIfYaGotEm #RollTide pic.twitter.com/BalC4UM4vj

— Terrell Lewis (@_Real24_) October 20, 2019

The cigar is an obvious reference to a decades-long tradition surrounding the Alabama-Tennessee game; after every contest, the winning team smokes a cigar. Back in 1961, a Tennessee grad turned Alabama athletic trainer vowed to dance naked in the Tide locker room if Alabama broke its 7-game losing streak in the series. It got the win, and the trainer paid up, but did so while smoking a cigar at the same time.

Fortunately for all parties involved these days, the latter portion of the tradition held up longer than the former portion. And with the win, Alabama made it 13 victories in a row over Tennessee in a series that dates back to 1903.

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.