It’s going to be a smoky night in Knoxville, and a good night of business for local cigar shops in east Tennessee.
The Volunteers snapped a 15-game losing streak to Alabama on Saturday night, winning 52-49 in Neyland Stadium. Which means, for the last 16 years, Tennessee players and fans haven’t been able to enjoy a celebratory cigar on the third Saturday in October.
Let’s take a brief step back: The victory cigar is something that has existed in the Alabama-Tennessee rivalry since 1961, when Alabama athletic trainer Jim Goostree lit up a stogie in the locker room and danced around naked after the Crimson Tide’s first win over the Vols since 1954. Players joined in and lit up too. Not only did the tradition stick in Tuscaloosa, but it spread over to Tennessee’s locker room.
Alabama was victorious for so long in this series that it had a standing arrangement with a local shop to provide cigars for after the Tennessee game each year. Now, Nick Saban is hoping he kept his receipts. Not getting a refund on this year’s smokes might cause the Tide coach to have his second temper tantrum of the night.
After his team won Saturday, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel received a big ol’ box of cigars from CBS sideline reporter Jenny Dell.
"THIS IS COLLEGE FOOTBALL AT ITS ABSOLUTE BEST!"
Josh Heupel joins @JennyDell_ after an unforgettable win in Knoxville. pic.twitter.com/e7srjJdFPU
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 15, 2022
Some Tennessee fans were way ahead of Heupel, gritting a stogie between their teeth as they rushed the field.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 15, 2022
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) October 15, 2022
Perhaps the most famous Tennessee alum to light up in Knoxville on Saturday night was former Vols quarterback Peyton Manning. The NFL Hall of Famer – and now host of your favorite alternative Monday Night Football programming – never lost to Alabama while he was under center for the Vols.
#NFL HOF QB Peyton Manning lighting up a cigar to celebrate Tennessee’s momentous win. pic.twitter.com/U7WM50H10i
— Garrett Franks (@garrett_franks) October 15, 2022
Manning also made his way to the Vols’ locker room, where he enjoyed a smoke with receiver Jalin Hyatt, who hauled in six catches for an eye-popping 207 yards and five touchdowns. Indeed, he deserved to celebrate with a Tennessee legend.
Legend achievement unlocked.@jalinhyatt pic.twitter.com/qrZsvLMQq1
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 16, 2022
Tennessee fans at home joined in too, breaking out cutters and matches for the occasion.
WE SMOKING CIGARS TONIGHT TENNESSEE‼️‼️🍊🔥🍊🔥 GREATEST GAME EVER‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/pJZs6FdZJ1
— Memphis Willcox (@MemphisWillcox) October 15, 2022
TENNESSEE WON!!! LIGHT THE CIGARS!!!! #GBO #RockyTop #GoVols @emilyeeeb pic.twitter.com/sJg4CWr47g
— Scott Hagan II (@jeffreyscott88) October 15, 2022
Heupel and Danny White – Tennessee’s athletic director, who brought Heupel with him from UCF – enjoyed a smoke together in the Vols’ locker room. Heupel’s cigar of choice seems to be the Oliva Melanio Robusto.
Tennessee AD Danny White and coach Josh Heupel in the postgame locker room smoking cigars. pic.twitter.com/IobF52G4Gx
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 16, 2022
Tennessee players fired up varieties of toros and robustos in the locker room too as the Vols celebrated the win.
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 16, 2022
Vols kicker Chase McGrath joined in on the celebration. His walk-off 40-yard field goal as time expired won it for Tennessee.
This walk-off hero is enjoying his best life. pic.twitter.com/IzvHhwrOJq
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 16, 2022
It’s unclear what brand McGrath is smoking, but it seems that Bru McCoy is enjoying a Rocky Patel Decade, while Jerome Carvin savors an Acid Blue.
Smoke em if you got em! pic.twitter.com/DabJ44QDNA
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 16, 2022
Also smoking up in celebration on Saturday night be the bettors that grabbed the Vols moneyline (+260), or put a sizable bet on Tennessee to cover 9.5 points.
The Football Gods seemed to be humming along to Rocky Top and sending good vibes toward Knoxville on Saturday. Paul Finebaum rose from an orange casket to pick Tennessee to win, and even former Vols coach Lane Kiffin was rooting for Hendon Hooker and co. against Alabama – and Tennessee fans threw things at him less than a year ago.
Tennessee survived a fourth quarter fumbled handoff that Alabama scooped and scored, and were blessed with a late pass interference call against the Tide, and by Alabama kickers doing Alabama kicker things.
