Alabama Football: Justin Smiley Leaves the NFL to Return to the Tide as a Coach

Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer)

Justin Smiley always played with a mean streak that embodied what Nick Saban wants everyman lineman to try and accomplish, "Just make their ass quit".

That "Sabanism" was embodied in Smiley even before he knew Nick Saban.

Now he's come home, after ending his six-year NFL career, to teach that mantra firsthand to a new group of linemen as a student assistant coach at Alabama. Nick Saban says it will be great to have another coach on hand with such recent NFL experience that the players can relate to.

Smiley starts his coaching career at the age of 29 and has come back to Alabama to finish his degree. He certainly can afford to do this after signing a $25 million contract some years ago.

At Alabama, Smiley made a name for himself as a rough blocking guard for several Alabama coaches. Smiley was at Alabama during the turbulent years and wanted to come to Alabama from his home state of Georgia to play for Gene Stallings, but ended up playing for Mike Dubose, Dennis Franchione, a spring with Mike Price and then Mike Shula.

As a player at Alabama, he started 36 games and was a first-round All-SEC pick in his senior year and was a second-round selection by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2004 NFL draft.

He had some bruising years in the NFL and got a great contract, but later in his career he had shoulder problems from his years of selling out his body to inflict the biggest hits on his opponents. Later he had an ankle problem as well.

The Oakland Raiders traded for him this season, but Smiley decided if he couldn't go 100 percent, it was time to call it quits.

But don't feel sorry for the early end of his NFL career. Smiley has money in the bank from that big contract and a beautiful wife, Missy, a former San Francisco 49ers cheerleader, and two sons, Justin Jr. and Jett.

With his fiery attitude and great experience, he will no doubt do well in coaching and he is a great addition to the coaching staff at Alabama.