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It's no secret that former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jauan Jennings isn't a big fan of the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Jennings, who currently plays for the San Francisco 49ers, went viral in late 2017 after he went live on Instagram and expressed his disdain for Vanderbilt.
At the time, Jennings was working his way back from a wrist injury he suffered earlier in the season. Interim head coach Brady Hoke, however, didn't let Jennings practice during Vanderbilt week, which is what led to the rant on Instagram live.
Jennings was kicked off the team by Hoke and then athletic director John Currie due to the Instagram live video, but Jeremy Pruitt, who took over as the program's head coach after the 2017 season, reinstated Jennings to the team in 2018.
Last week, Jennings joined The Torchbearers Podcast with former Vols quarterback Josh Dobbs and he explained the origin of his intense dislike of Vanderbilt.
The former Vol wide receiver revealed that it all started when he was a high school recruit.
"Honestly, when the head coach (James Franklin) left and went to Penn State and then I didn't get the same respect from the new coach (Derek Mason)," said Jennings. "So it was just like, alright it makes no sense. I didn't even think they were that good. I only wanted to go there to help them.
"J Matt (former Vandy wide receiver Jordan Matthews) had left. That was the real reason I wanted to go to Vanderbilt. And then when the new coach got there, he wasn't rocking with me the same [way]. I was like ok, well, let's go right down the street."
Jennings also revealed that he was once committed to Vanderbilt.
"I was committed to Vanderbilt," said Jennings. "I was with James (Franklin). The thing is, Vanderbilt, their players, the organization, the way they just talk, I was with all that, too. I was with all that physicality, I just felt he (Mason) wasn't rocking with me. So it was like, cool, Tennessee's way better anyway. I knew that anyway. I just don't like Vanderbilt. Why are they in the SEC?"
Jennings is from Murfreesboro, TN, which is just 40 minutes southeast of Vanderbilt.
Mason was fired at Vanderbilt in 2020 after seven disappointing seasons. Maybe his tenure would've turned out differently had he pursued Jennings a little harder.
Fortunately for Tennessee, Jennings didn't land at Vanderbilt and instead he embarked on a memorable career with the Volunteers.
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