Former Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy collects on his reward from NFL teammate after Crimson Tide beat rival Vols
The Third Saturday in October is a rivalry that never ends for fans and players of Alabama and Tennessee. The Crimson Tide beat the Volunteers 37-20 last week, pushing their all-time series record to 60-40-7. Now, Alabama is a top-four team and is right back in the national championship mix after a disappointing 2024 season.Former […]
The Third Saturday in October is a rivalry that never ends for fans and players of Alabama and Tennessee. The Crimson Tide beat the Volunteers 37-20 last week, pushing their all-time series record to 60-40-7. Now, Alabama is a top-four team and is right back in the national championship mix after a disappointing 2024 season.
Former Alabama and Tennessee players got into the fun as well. There aren’t many NFL teams with stars from both programs, but the Cleveland Browns have Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman. The receivers had to get into the fun.
Jeudy took to his Instagram story to show off what Tillman owed him after watching the Tide claim another victory in the rivalry. Check it out below.
Cedric Tillman wears Alabama gear after losing Tennessee bet to Jerry Jeudy
Jeudy played wide receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2017 to 2019, emerging as one of the most productive pass-catchers in college football during that span. As a freshman in 2017, he recorded 14 receptions for 264 yards and two touchdowns in a limited role, contributing to Alabama’s national championship victory.
His sophomore year in 2018 marked a breakout, with 77 catches for 1,315 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning him the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver and first-team All-SEC honors. Jeudy led the team in receiving in multiple games, including standout performances like 147 yards against Missouri and 139 yards in the College Football Playoff National Championship loss to Clemson.
In 2019, despite quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s season-ending injury, Jeudy posted 68 receptions for 1,163 yards and 10 touchdowns, again earning All-SEC recognition and finishing with career totals of 159 catches for 2,742 yards and 26 touchdowns over 42 games. His 17.2 yards per catch average ranked second in Alabama history among players with significant volume.
In the NFL, Jeudy was selected 15th overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2020 draft and has since accumulated 321 receptions for 4,522 yards and 15 touchdowns across 74 games, including one Pro Bowl appearance. His rookie season yielded 43 catches for 856 yards and three touchdowns, setting a franchise record for receiving yards by a first-year player.
Jeudy followed with 38 receptions for 467 yards and six touchdowns in 2021, though injuries limited him to 10 games. He improved in 2022 with 58 catches for 972 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games, highlighted by a three-touchdown outing against Kansas City.
In 2023, he managed 54 receptions for 758 yards and two touchdowns in 16 starts amid quarterback instability. Traded to the Cleveland Browns in March 2024, Jeudy had a career year with 90 receptions for 1,229 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games, setting a Browns single-season receptions record and ranking sixth league-wide in yards. Through six games of the 2025 season, he has added 22 catches for 257 yards.
Cedric Tillman spent five seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers from 2018 to 2022, transitioning from a reserve to a key offensive contributor in his final years. He redshirted as a freshman in 2018 and saw minimal action in 2019 and 2020, totaling just eight receptions for 124 yards and two touchdowns over those campaigns.
Tillman’s emergence came in 2021 under new head coach Josh Heupel, where he started all 13 games and led Tennessee with 64 catches for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns, becoming the team’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2012 and earning All-SEC second-team honors. Notable performances included 206 yards and two touchdowns against Ole Miss, the first 200-yard game by a Vol since 2012.
Limited to six games in 2022 by an ankle injury, he still posted 37 receptions for 417 yards and three touchdowns, highlighted by 162 yards and a game-winning score in overtime against Pittsburgh. Overall at Tennessee, Tillman finished with 109 catches for 1,622 yards and 17 touchdowns in 35 games.
Tillman entered the NFL as a third-round pick (74th overall) by the Cleveland Browns in 2023 and has recorded 54 receptions for 669 yards and five touchdowns in 32 games through the first six weeks of 2025. As a rookie, he appeared in 14 games with three starts, totaling 21 catches for 224 yards and one touchdown.
In 2024, Tillman broke out with 29 receptions for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games before a Week 12 concussion ended his season, including his first multi-touchdown game against the Bengals. His 2025 campaign has begun slowly with 11 catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns in six appearances, though he has been placed on injured reserve.
