Jeremy Pruitt Comments on Nick Saban, Recent SEC COVID News, Updates Vols COVID Status

So far this week, two SEC football games are postponed, with Vanderbilt-Missouri and Florida-LSU postponed to COVID-19 outbreaks. Then, yesterday afternoon, news broke that Alabama Head Coach, Nick Saban, had tested positive for the virus ahead of Saturday's top-3 showdown with Georgia.

Jeremy Pruitt has battled the challenges presented by COVID, as over half of his team was sidelined due to the virus or contact tracing earlier this fall. 

Yesterday, Pruitt voiced his thoughts on the news. "It's the reality. I don't think there's probably not any family across our country that has not been affected during this pandemic. Whether it's somebody losing a family member or somebody getting COVID and missing work and going through the anxiety and trying to get well. We see it every day with our players, with our staff. I send my kids to school. I send them to school because they need it, and I also know that there's a risk with that, so I get it. I hate it for anybody that has suffered through this. It's tough times. But, one thing I will say, with the leadership of Greg Sankey and everybody at the SEC office, we've continued since March to find solutions, to find the answers to the problems, and to give these student-athletes an opportunity to do something that they love to do and try to do it in the safest way possible. Obviously, it has been a tough day," Pruitt told local reporters during a Zoom Call. 

Tennessee has not suffered recent impacts by COVID news, and the third-year head coach offered another encouraging update yesterday. Pruitt said, "We've had no positive tests for I think three weeks now. As you can see, it can change in one day. I think our players and our staff and everyone in our program is working hard to follow the CDC guidelines and wear your mask. Again, when you go home at night, I have a three and a five-year-old that are in school. They are wearing their masks, but they also possibly take it off some during the day too. For me, I understand that, but it is something that I think all of us have to make a choice and decide what is best moving forward." 

The Vols will await news from their final round of testing before making final preparations for a Noon ET showdown against Kentucky on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.