Godzilla Returns? Former great Smith addresses team

As Missouri's Sep. 3 date in Morgantown, W.V., looms, coach Barry Odom is busy getting his players motivated for the first game of his tenure.

This week, Odom had Missouri wrestling coach Brian Smith -- one of the two more successful coaches currently in Missouri's employ -- address the team on Wednesday.

"I've gotten to know Coach Smith over the years," Odom said. "Absolutely admire everything he does. He gave a great message to our team. We work pretty well together."

Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch then asked an astute question -- did Justin Smith, the former Missouri defensive lineman, talk to the team?

"He did last night, yeah," Odom said. "I asked Justin -- and I want him around. He's in Columbia now, so spend time with us. He's such an awesome competitor and a great Missouri Tiger. So he came and spoke with the team last night.

"Did a great job, as Justin only can do, on talking about trying to outwork your opponent. About really playing tough and physical, not leaving anything to chance, busting your ass, all the things that make Justin Smith, Justin Smith. There's not a lot a lot of gray area with him. He called a couple guys out in the crowd. It was awesome. He's unbelievable."

Odom referred to Smith as "a very good friend." The duo's playing career overlapped for one season in Columbia -- 1999 was Odom's senior year and Smith's freshman. Last August, Smith made a few appearances at Missouri's football practices early in camp. At the time, he was fresh off announcing his retirement from a successful NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers.

While last year's appearances around the training complex were short lived, Odom expects that to change.

"He's going to be around our program quite a bit," Odom said.