Jakob Johnson will be hard to miss when the New England Patriots take the field at SoFi Stadium this Sunday.
The 26-year-old sported a fiery new look when he spoke with reporters over Zoom on Friday, having dyed his trademark dreadlocks a distinctive shade of red.
“Crimson,” to be exact.
You see, Johnson’s makeover wasn’t a personal choice or an especially ambitious Halloween costume (though he’s considering going as “Knuckles from Sonic or Chucky” to take advantage of it). It was the result of a wager gone wrong with Patriots running back Damien Harris.
Johnson, who played his college ball at Tennesse, said he made a “huge bet” with Alabama alum Harris on the outcome of last Saturday’s Volunteers-Crimson Tide matchup.
“The third Saturday in October hasn’t been great for me,” Johnson said. “I made some wagers and had to pay the price. … This is the result.”
Hopefully, there was some sort of spread involved in this bet. Tennessee hasn’t beaten its dominant SEC rival since 2006, with Alabama winning the last 15 meetings in this annual series.
Johnson’s alma mater actually kept things close for much of this latest installment — Tennessee led 14-7 early and trailed by seven early in the fourth quarter — but Bama piled up three late touchdowns to cruise to a 52-24 win.
The bruising lead blocker now is resigned to having hair that’s “this terrible, crimson-like color” for “the next couple weeks.”
“Shoutout Damien,” Johnson said.
