During a recent podcast interview, Tennessee Titans rookie defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat, with a hint of nostalgia, expressed his deep-rooted affection for his beloved alma mater, the University of Texas, a sentiment that indeed resonates with fellow Longhorns.
Sweat didn't shy away from expressing his school pride when he recently spoke with Titans play-by-play broadcaster Mike Keith and team reporter Amie Wells in a moment of playful banter. He jokingly referred to his school, the University of Texas, as 'the real UT, 'a comment that sparked a friendly rivalry with University of Tennessee fans.
“I graduated too,” Sweat proudly declared on the Official Titans Podcast. “I don’t know if y’all said that, but I graduated. The real UT.”
Keith let the rookie know he's no longer in Texas: "Do you know where you are now? This is Tennessee."
Sweat received the 2023 Outland Trophy, awarded to the best college football interior offensive or defensive lineman. He was also named the Big 12 Conference's best defensive player by the Associated Press and a unanimous All-American.
Sweat was on the last Longhorn team to play in the Big 12. Texas is moving to the Southeastern Conference and Keith joked that the Longhorns are finally going to a real conference. Sweat replied with more trash talk.
"We're gonna run it," Sweat said about Texas' possiblities in the conference considered the best in the nation. Sweat has reason to be confident since his Longhorns beat Alabama twice during his college career as he's reminded his new teammate Crimson Tide alum JC Latham.
