CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL: IOWA VS TENNESSEE

December 30, 2023

Jacob Warren

Camping World Stadium

Tennessee Volunteers

Press Conference

Q. Had a good time so far?

JACOB WARREN: Yeah, we have had a great time. This has been an amazing experience. Obviously being my last Bowl game everything, it is surreal. It is cool to kind of take it in, but we have had a really good time here in Orlando and, obviously, look forward to the game.

Q. What do you hope to get out of the whole experience, the balance of having fun and creating memories?

JACOB WARREN: Yeah, Coach has been super intentional of saying -- like when we are at football, let’s focus. Let's get our work in, let's practice hard and do all the things we need to do to get ready for the actual game.

The second that you step away from the field or you are back at the hotel or you are back wherever you are, yeah, man, just have fun. Enjoy the time with the guys and enjoy times doing things like this and serving the community. I think we have done a good job of that.

Q. Inaudible.

JACOB WARREN: Yeah, this is awesome. Any time we get a chance to just be around people, the community. It's not necessarily our community at Tennessee, but just to be around people and impact people and let them have a good time with us, kind of show our character a little bit. Kind of show that we are just normal kids, normal guys that just like to have a good time, it is a great opportunity.

Q. Do you have a favorite Cheez-It?

JACOB WARREN: I like the snack mix with the pretzels and the little bread bites and stuff. Double Cheese is my favorite.

Q. That it's the last, a couple days away --

JACOB WARREN: Sure, there are a couple lasts you go through. You go through the last home game, you go through the last practice and stuff. Obviously, I had my last class and finished my last assignment and this is my last Bowl game. It is cool because I have been through a lot here, and we have done a lot here in my time here.

I have been here for a while. I am ready to go and on to the next chapter and just give it my best shot and see where I land and see what happens. I am excited for that.

Q. Hanging out today with teammates, players from Iowa, what has it been like today? What's been your favorite part?

JACOB WARREN: It is cool, because any time you do something like this, you see the other team, and you get paired up with them or whatever and you're like, oh, these guys, whatever. They are cool, too. We are all the same, right. We are all just trying to be our best selves and just trying to have a good time. The guys were great. Their guys were great. Yeah, it has been fun.

Q. What has helped with the tight ends?

JACOB WARREN: Just experience and just time with each other. I think that any strong friendship or relationship is built through adversity with each other. That is something that we have all been through, man. We have all for the most part been in that room for a while.

Obviously have some newcomers, Ethan Davis still being a little bit new, but he is still in that boat with us. We have been through a lot of tough things with him, holding -- just showing the squad and showing him what this place is about and showing him the culture and kind of acclimate him to who we are. Hopefully, he takes over the reins and can be a really good player for us in the future.

Q. What's it like working in that room with Mccallan?

JACOB WARREN: It is great. I know Mccallan always has really good things to say about me, and so I will say the same about him. This year will be a lot different without him just for me personally, for me as a player. Having somebody I can really depend on and lean on in that room with me on the field with me at all times, but then also somebody I can truly connect with off the field. We have become really truly best friends off the field in the last year, so I am real happy and grateful for him.