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Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood (8) recovers a fumble and runs it into the end zone for a touchdown during the Aflac Kickoff Game between the Volunteers and Syracuse held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on August 30, 2025. Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Everything From Tennessee DBs Colton Hood and Jalen McMurray After The Vols Win Over Syracuse

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Najeh Wilkins | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 11:15 PM ET

It was a productive afternoon for the most part for the Tennessee secondary. The Vols were led by Colton Hood and Jalen McMurray who talked to the media at the conclusion of the win over Syracuse. Here is everything they had to say.

Colton Hood on his first touchdown…

“I want to give all glory to God. You know, without him, me and my teammates I would be nothing. So, I want to give all glory to him. I've been playing baseball since I was 6 years old. So, when I seen that ball on the ground, it's just like picking up a ground ball in the outfield. I just picked it up and ran it in the end zone.

On the tone the win sets for the group moving forward….

Hood answer….

“I think it showed all the haters and the doubters out there that we're still the same Tennessee that we were last year. We're going to be better, and we're gonna keep getting better after this game. So, I think that's what it showed for real.

Jalen McMurray answer…

“You know, it allows us to really have confidence within ourselves, honestly. Like, we know what we can do and in our doors, like how we go out and how we play. I mean, like I said, we know what we can do.”

McMurray on his deflection that led to an interception…

“I should have picked it off. Psych now. But yeah, coach called my number had to had to make the play. You know, God has given me the ability to, you know, be able to jump a little high. So, he threw the ball and I felt like I get both hands on the ball and T (Tedlander) made a heck of a play.

Hood on the doubters and haters and where it came from…

“I got a lot of hate, you know, but I didn't really try to feed into it too much, like, because I know who I am as a person. I know, like, just who the people I have around me are, and so I just leaned on them and those people kind of hated on me, and then not even me, but like I seen what happened with the team, and like they said we weren't going to be good. You seen what the receivers did today, boys went out there and made plays like Joey made plays, they said we weren't going to be have a quarterback, so I mean like we always just believed in ourselves, like we were never like worried about anything. We weren't worried about what anybody else was saying; we were always just locked in and just ready to go play.

Hood on how much fun he had today…

“I had a great time, you know, playing with my brothers. My last name Hood. So, put the hood on, thumbs down. You know what I'm saying? Hey, we ain't going over there on the outside. I'm locking it up. So that's what it was.

McMurray on the play of the secondary…

“You know, it's it's the first game, so there's going to be a lot of ups and downs. You know, thank goodness for us, there was a lot of ups, you know, so all we had to do is go back and honestly watch the film and learn from it and improve for the next few weeks.

Hood on the influence that Jermod McCoy has had on him…

Yeah, I mean him, Ricky, J-Mack, Dre, Idris, all them boys like they all helped me like learn to play well because you know I got in a little late in the summer, so all I had was a summer and fall camp to learn to plays. They all was like very helpful. Nobody was like, "Oh, he might come in and do this and take my spot." Like everybody, like in the room was helping me out. So I think that just shows a test of what kind of brotherhood we have on this team, and I'm just so excited to be here, and I'm really happy about it.

On Nathan Robinson's determination…

He definitely done a great job, you know, even having to be out like a lot of the fall camp and just playing with that club. He's done a great job just working every day. Not just him, but like there's a whole bunch of players daily, you know, he came in there in the first game from being out for a good bit of time and just made plays. So, like I think everybody did a great job that was down coming in knowing their job and executing. We're just going to keep getting better week to week.

McMurray shares his thoughts…

“It shows the grit of the team. You know, this team is a gritty team and, you know, we'll we'll fight through everything and we'll do that together.”