Nolan Smith details his impressions of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin at NFL Combine

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Nolan Smith is expected to be a high draft pick this year. Because of that, a lot of teams who need help on the defensive side of the ball are interested in getting to know him better.

While speaking to the media at the NFL Combine, Smith was asked about his first impressions of the Pittsburgh Steelers and their head coach, Mike Tomlin.

“I did speak to the Steelers and that’s one of my coaches that I watched growing up and he impacted my life just as a game, as a young kid.” Nolan Smith said. “I told him that when I first met him. He probably thought I was a fanboy but I was gonna be honest.”

Nolan Smith emphasized that in his interviews with coaches that have impacted the game, he wanted to make sure that they knew what that impact meant to him.

“In all my interviews I was honest in myself, and him and Coach [Andy] Reid, you know, I just watched them and Coach Reid what he did on offense in Philly and what he’s doing with the Chiefs now. He’s affected the game. Those people affected the game our game and you just have to tell them that,” Smith continued.

“You just can’t walk in, ‘Oh, yes, sir. This, that.’ They’re coaches. They’re people too and I just wanted to let them know how much they affected me just as a football player.”

Nolan Smith sent a passionate message to his Georgia teammates

Nolan Smith sent a passionate message to his Georgia teammates when he spoke about the death of teammate Devin Willock.

“That’s my guy. That’s one person that never did anything wrong. I get sensitive talking about it just because I love him. He never did anything wrong in his three years. He was supposed to graduate. His brother passed like that. I’m sorry to his mama. No one should live like that,” Smith told reporters.

“No one should deserve to die like that. He never did s*** wrong. I’m sorry for my language, he never did anything wrong. Three years in a row, that man showed up worked in day in and day out. He’s a two-time Natty Champ, man. It’s written in stone. 77, you’re living forever. ‘Do it for Dev,’ that’s what I tell them boys at Georgia. ‘You lost a brother, do it for Dev.’ I’m sorry to get emotional, I’m the ‘juice’ guy. This is my first time talking about it. Cincinnati [Bengals], they brought it up and I got emotional, too just because I care.”