He's the head coach and the team psychiatrist. But for John L. Smith, it's just part of the job.
He takes his athletic, aggressive defensive linemen and molds them into men. Regular meetings with senior Greg Taplin and junior Matthias Askew are helping the Spartans become the third-best rushing defense in the country.
He calls his individual sessions "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" and they've been a key element in the Spartans' early success this season.
"They need people to be close to them; it comes with the territory of being a D-lineman," Smith said. "Does that make sense? Offensive linemen seem to need less nurturing."
The two linemen have taken a huge role in the Spartans' defensive effort this season. Askew is leading the Big Ten in sacks with five, while Taplin, who Smith compared to a son after Saturday's win, had a gamebreaking play against Notre Dame, intercepting a Carlyle Holiday pass and returning it 40 yards for a touchdown to give the Spartans a 13-point lead over the Irish.
The pair traveled to the calmer and much colder atmosphere of Spartan Stadium from the fast life of southern Florida. But both finally seem comfortable with their surroundings and their coach, not to mention the fact they are No. 1 and 2 in total block "S" decals, given to defenders for good play and discipline, on their helmets.
"We're more aggressive, physical minded," Askew said. "We do a lot of getting up the field. We've got athletes on our defense. We make up for the mistakes with our athletic ability. We run to the ball on defense, and that takes care of a lot."
After a rough start to their relationship and a two-game suspension for violating team rules last season, Taplin had a long way to go to get on his coach's good side. But Smith believes that his defensive end has made amends.
"Sometimes you have to put your arm around (Taplin) and hug him and tell him to come that way or this, but now he even stops by my office to say hi. We talk about different goals - goals for the week, goals for how academics are going and what he wants to do with his life. I think it's therapy for both of us."
The defensive line, however, begins its real test Saturday, when it faces No. 13 Iowa, a physical team whose strength is rushing the ball up the middle. Senior tailback Fred Russell, who finished third in rushing yards in the Big Ten last season and is averaging 123 yards per game this year, runs in front of a large offensive line that likes to run the ball - a lot.
"That's their strength right now, so we're expecting them to run 40 or 50 times in the game," senior mike linebacker Mike Labinjo said. "We're not afraid of him. He's a good running back, he's got a great big O-line in front of him, so we're just going to try to play our game. We know we're pretty good at the run as well, so it's going to be fun to watch."
Overall, the Big Ten is a power running conference. And with running backs such as Russell, Wisconsin's Anthony Davis, Michigan's Chris Perry, Ohio State's Maurice Hall and the Minnesota trio of Marion Barber III, Terry Jackson II and Thomas Tapeh coming up on the Spartans' schedule, the defensive line will have plenty of time to prove its worth.
The main concern with Iowa is the team's strong offensive line. Anchored by fifth-year senior All-American Robert Gallery, a 6-foot-7, 320 pound Goliath, the Hawkeyes won't veer away from the run game.
"They've never faced a defensive line like Michigan State," said Taplin, who will line up against Gallery. "I've been playing against him since I was a sophomore. He's a big man, a mountain. I'm just going to give him all I've got, it's going to be a battle."
Running behind the mountain is the sly, slashing talent of Russell. The 5-8, 190-pound Inkster native has made quick work of the inferior defenses he has faced so far this season, but he will have a new challenge when he visits East Lansing.
"It's a good feeling to be top in the nation in run defense, but we do a lot with a front seven," Askew said. "But they're going to do a lot to defend their title.
"We've just got to go out and stop him. We're not afraid of nothing, especially the running game. We're more concerned about the pass."
If the Hawkeyes are forced to go away from their rushing attack, they will likely use their highly effective play-action passing attack. The play-action was used effectively by Iowa's offense last season, making stars out of the now-departed tandem of quarterback Brad Banks and tight end Dallas Clark.
But this season, the Hawkeyes will have a new weapon, the height of senior quarterback Nathan Chandler.
"He's a big guy," Labinjo said. "I think he's 6-7, 250 pounds, and he's an accurate thrower. It doesn't seem like he takes chances out there. He's going to make the sure throw. And that running game takes a lot of pressure off him."
However, the odds have been thrown against Chandler and his passing attack this week. Iowa will be without two of its top receivers, senior Maurice Brown with an ankle injury and sophomore Ed Hinkel with a pulled groin. Instead, it will have to rely on senior Ramon Ochoa and freshmen Calvin Davis and James Townsend.
"Our defensive team has done a great job stopping the run so far, but we've just got to get more physical, because in the Big Ten, it's going to be a bit more physical," junior whip linebacker Ronald Stanley said. "Iowa is going to run the ball. I understand that their receivers are out, so they're going to have no choice but to run."
