Former Georgia football players Jermaine Burton, Trez Marshall help Alabama win SEC title

ATLANTA − There's no feeling quite like beating your former team for a conference title.

Senior wide receiver Jermaine Burton and redshirt senior linebacker Trezmen Marshall, both former Georgia football players, experienced that on Saturday in Alabama's 27-24 over No. 1 Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"Man, I didn't really care what team it was as long as we came out with the (win)," Marshall said. "We had to execute, you know, come out here and just play our ball, just play our game, treated it like every other opponent."

Both played major roles in the Crimson Tide's fourth victory in a row against Georgia in the SEC championship game. Burton had 28 yards receiving on two catches — both for touchdowns.

"It's amazing, it's dope," Burton said. "Regardless of the circumstances, if we won or not, I still have a lot of support for UGA. I love each and every player on that team as if they're still my teammates. I've been to war with the boys ... but I'm with a new team now.

"I don't even know what to say, I'm just excited for us."

Burton, Alabama's leading receiver this season, was part of Georgia's 2021 national championship team before transferring to the Crimson Tide ahead of the 2022 season.

"I'm around a lot of good people. I can't do any of this by myself," Burton said. "When I came to Bama, I had to jump on the track with the team, I had to get on their standard and I had to adjust to how they did things there. I love it. It's (built my) character."

Marshall recovered a fumble in the third quarter that led to an Alabama field goal to extend its lead to 20-10.

"I saw the ball, and I wanted to scoop and score it," he said.

Marshall spent his undergraduate career with Georgia, collecting two national championship rings in four seasons to show for it. He left for Alabama ahead of this season and was immediately thrust into a prominent role.

"I'm blessed, getting to be coached by coach [Kirby] Smart and coach [Glenn] Schumann, like I respect those guys, they're part of my foundation and they really helped me," Marshall said. "And then you've got coach Nick Saban, and I just don't got to speak on that, you know he's great and I love him. It's great to be here."

Amid the celebration, both Burton and Marshall took time to talk with former teammates at UGA.

"I (thanked) them on helping me throughout life, like they done did a lot for me and I really appreciate them, I let them know that I appreciate them," Marshall said.

"(I talked to) as many as I could," Burton said. "I told them I love them. I don't care if we won or not, I still love them boys to death."

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Former UGA players Jermaine Burton, Trez Marshall help Alabama win SEC