Alabama football has three players with “Smith” for its last name on defense, including two on its defensive line.
Tim Smith, a former five-star, is a fifth-year senior.
The native Floridian has been on a College Football Playoff National Championship team and three Southeastern Conference titles teams during the Nick Saban era. A member of the 2020 signing class, Smith was taught the standard of excellence.
He did not play a lot early in his career, but he has grown into a leader. The 6-foot-4, 314-pounder knows his time will soon come to a close for the Crimson Tide. He is mentoring the next wave of linemen that could restore Alabama’s front to elite status, including a former five-star from Montgomery, Ala. James Smith, an alumnus of Carver High School, was known for his disruptive, bully mentality against competition. The 6-foot-3, 296-pounder wants nothing more but to be impactful.
He has eight tackles, a tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and two quarterback hurries, but the elder Smith sees incredible potential in the second-year player. Smith has taking the young pass rusher under his wing to teach him.
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“I see a lot of potential in him,” Smith said Tuesday about James Smith. “James is actually my middle name so I call him my little brother. I be trolling him a lot, but he is going to be a great player. It is just that everyone has to get locked in and honed in to understanding this is just his second year. Obviously, I for sure did not have everything figured out my second year.”
Smith said it is about putting things in the ears of young players to up their game.
He has been a great influence to James Smith, and hopefully he becomes the takeover player that Alabama needs.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
