Everyone Support Andre Smith!

I am not directing this article towards anyone who reads or writes on this site. I have only seen one article about the suspension of Andre Smith, and its content was just stating the suspension of him for the Sugar Bowl.

With that being said, having read a few forums and blogs online today, it seems as if there are several "Bama" fans who are already throwing Andre under the bus.

Those people should ask themselves if they have ever made a mistake in their lives when faced with pressure. Now with the answer to that being yes, have they ever had a decision to make one in such a pressure-filled situation of playing Division I football and having the opportunity of millions of dollars being shoved in their faces?

Andre is a 21-year-old kid who just made a mistake, simple as that. Yes, it was a big mistake—one that he probably knew beforehand he was making. Yes, it will hurt the team some in the upcoming Sugar Bowl, and it should have been avoided.

It just makes me sick to see Alabama fans saying the likes of, "I hope they make him walk home to Birmingham," and "way to ruin the season for everyone, Andre." Those are just a few of the statements I read today online.

This kid has shown nothing but class and character through his three years in Tuscaloosa. He's the best offensive lineman in the country, and this 12-1 season would not have been possible without him. Was it not just two weeks ago everyone in the country was singing his praises after he received the Outland Trophy?

Because of one mistake, we're going to forget everything he has done? The one thing I can't stand is fair-weather fans. They are always there when everything is going great, but soon as one thing happens, they can't wait to criticize a 21-year-old kid. It just sickens me.

Yes, I am disappointed and discouraged for what Andre did, but I still support him and think he is a great player. One mistake does not change that.

I know this will taint, at least a little bit, his career at Alabama, but saying he needs to walk home to Birmingham is just disgraceful to me. I cannot believe we will throw one of our players under the bus that quick.

Now once again, this isn't directed towards anyone who might read this. This is just my way of venting. I hope once all the dust settles from this, people will again realize what Andre has done for this program. I also hope that if you're just a fair-weather fan, then well...find someone else to cheer for, because I still wore my Bama gear from 2002-2007 when it wasn't the "cool" thing to do.

For those of you who read this and do support Andre, thank you. I think we still win the Sugar Bowl to cap this amazing season. Good luck to Andre Smith in all this future endeavors. ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!