Who is Jeff Comeaux? Man who called in sick to attend Tennessee-Georgia football game gets ‘Coldplayed’

Jeff Comeaux drew a parallel between his fate and that of Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot at the Coldplay concert.

Jeff Comeaux, a lifelong fan of the Tennessee Volunteers, went viral on the internet after TV cameras captured his animated reactions during the Vols' game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on September 14, according to the NY Post. The Knoxville man, who had taken a sick leave to attend the game, was caught red-handed on national TV. He later joked that he “got Coldplayed.”

Jeff Comeaux, who was on sick leave, got ‘Coldplayed’ at the Tennessee Volunteers vs Georgia Bulldogs game. (Getty Images via AFP)

Knoxville man becomes a meme at Volunteers vs. Bulldogs game

Comeaux, a Knoxville native, had taken a sick leave from work to root for the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. His reactions to the game were caught on a Jumbotron. Comeaux crossed his arms every time he was disappointed by the Volunteers’ performance. And whenever he was in disbelief, the Knoxville native covered his face with his hands.

Memes based on Jeff Comeaux’s reactions soon flooded the internet. In an unprecedented turn of events, Comeaux’s employer also came to know that he was at the match between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Reacting to the brouhaha over his presence at the game, Comeaux drew a parallel between his fate and that of Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot at a Coldplay concert a few months ago. The ex-Astronomer CEO and the company's former head of HR's affair was revealed when the kiss cam focused on them.

“I got to a point where I was like, you know what, the best thing to do is I’m just gonna call in sick today. And I got Coldplayed,” Comeaux told WBIR.

Who is Jeff Comeaux?

Amid his unexpected fame, Jeff Comeaux sat for an interview with 10News. He introduced himself as a “huge Vols fan”. “Around 1989 or 1990 to 2002 or 2003, I went to every Tennessee-Georgia game, every Tennessee-Alabama game and almost every Tennessee-Florida game—except the Florida game in 1998,” he said.

Comeaux said he realized something was up after strangers started recognizing him in Circle Park after the Vols vs. the Bulldogs. “Some guy stood up and said, ‘That’s the guy!’ and I was like, ‘What did I do? Like I robbed a bank or something,” Comeaux recounted.

He said when he turned his phone on after the match, there were already “270 texts.” “Then within 30 minutes, it was more than 300,” Comeaux added.

Although his boss discovered him on national TV, Comeaux felt his sick leave was worth it.

“I got to a point where the best thing to do was call in sick that day. And then I’m all over national TV," he told WBIR.

FAQs:

Who is Jeff Comeaux?

Jeff Comeaux is a native of Knoxville and a huge fan of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Did Jeff Comeaux take a sick leave to attend the Tennessee Volunteers vs. the Georgia Bulldogs?

Yes, Jeff Comeaux took a sick leave to attend the Tennessee Volunteers vs. the Georgia Bulldogs.

What happened to Jeff Comeaux?

Jeff Comeaux became a meme after his reactions to the Tennessee Volunteers vs. the Georgia Bulldogs went viral on the internet.