TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — You watch him on the University of Alabama sideline and he’s as animated as anyone in the stadium, often being pulled back by his belt to avoid a penalty for standing too far out on the field.
That’s Kirby Smart to a T, the emotional defensive coordinator who is fully invested in all the players he recruits, every game he prepares for and each play that he calls.
Yes, Nick Saban may be the architect of the Crimson Tide defense, which has arguably been the best overall in college football since he arrived in 2007, but it’s Smart’s baby and he treats it as such.