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SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: FLORIDA VS ALABAMA

November 28, 2016

Teez Tabor

Atlanta, Georgia

THE MODERATOR: Next up is Teez Tabor.

Teez, before we take questions, can you give us an opening statement on your team as you prepare for Saturday's game.

TEEZ TABOR: Yeah, just looking forward to going back to Atlanta for the second straight year. Just getting the Gators back on top, where we're supposed to be in the SEC and the SEC East. So it's going to be fun and just a real -- just looking forward to it.

Q. Teez, Austin had an interesting line about this game, calling it a minor league NFL game in terms of the caliber of talent on the field. As a player and a competitor, is that something that gets you fired up to be going up against the best players?
TEEZ TABOR: Without a doubt. Just me being a competitor, I always want to be the best, and to be the best, they're going to measure you against the best, against who everybody else thinks is the best. So it's going to be a real exciting game. I know they've got some pretty good receivers who they like to give the ball to and can make some plays. So it should be fun.

Q. Along with that, with those players, what do you remember from last year going up against Ridley, Stewart, and I guess now even trying to account for O.J. Howard on the outside at times?
TEEZ TABOR: I remember after last year's game, I never really felt like that during a game, but those guys really brought it to us. For the first time ever playing football, I kind of felt like it was a little bit tougher than it normally was. So I just used that as fuel in the off-season, and just like, when we see those boys again, I don't want to feel like that during the game.

Q. You guys are playing Alabama for the second straight year. This is the 9th time in 25 SEC title games between these two teams. Why is it always Alabama and Florida, or why does it happen so often?
TEEZ TABOR: Historically they've been the best team in the West, and historically we've been the best team in the East. When you think of SEC Championship, you think of Alabama versus Florida, and I feel like that's the way, and that's the way it's supposed to be, and that's the way it is again this year.

Q. It was a little different for you guys this year because you had that early loss in Knoxville. Why were you so confident you guys would win the East and not Tennessee?
TEEZ TABOR: Because we knew we're the better team. We knew we could get in. Just looking at who they had, they had 'Bama, A&M, and still had to play a lot of tough teams. We felt like there's really nobody else on our schedule, to be honest with you.

Q. Hey, Teez, you mentioned playing Stewart and Ridley last year. I'm curious, what lessons did you learn from playing them last year? And then what are you going to do this year to slow them down?
TEEZ TABOR: Just know you can't half-step going into this game. It's one of those games that you have to put everything into it. It's not going to be easy. I remember just last year, just how fast those guys were and how quick they were and how strong they were. When they got the ball, it was a little tougher than it normally is in the SEC.

I was like, when we see these guys next in the Championship, make sure my preparation and my whole off-season is going to be just as good, if not better than theirs. So when we see them again, it's going to be a little different story.

Q. Jalen, you and Quincy obviously have a close relationship, been together a while. What about his game do you most admire?
TEEZ TABOR: Just his -- I see him every day. So just how much he cares about the game and just his physical stature. To be around 6'1", around 215, running a 4.4, it's hard to do nowadays. Just how big he is, how fast he is, how strong he is, and how he can just use his physical tools to kind of take you out of the game is just tremendous.

Q. How much has just his presence here helped you, just pushed you to improve and be a better player?
TEEZ TABOR: Just his presence has helped me a lot, just him being around. It's kind of like little brother, big brother type of thing, where growing up, you don't want your brother to be better than you. You want to be better than your brother. And just that competition every day for three years since we've been here, along with Vernon, along with Poole, along with Duke, along with Maye, along with Kiki, along with Nick, along with Cell, just those relationships and everybody wanting to be the best has just brought everybody to a much higher level.

Q. You were talking about what the experience was like playing them last year. Which guys stood out the most on the Alabama team that impressed you?
TEEZ TABOR: Just their team in general, the way they come and play is different. I'd be lying to you if I said it wasn't -- I guess it's Coach Saban and how he prepares his guys, but every year we play these guys, it's different than when you play everybody else. There's a reason why they're the No. 1 team in the country. There's a reason why they haven't lost this year. There's a reason they're going to their third SEC Championship, hopefully, for those guys. They probably think they're going to go to their third College Football Playoff.

It's different. When you play those guys, you've got to step on the field correctly and you've got to come with everything you've got.

Q. Just how you define different. What makes them different?
TEEZ TABOR: I don't know. I just -- maybe strength and conditioning. It's different than when you play those guys. It's kind of hard to explain. It's something you've got to see for yourself.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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