Steelers ST coach Danny Smith suffered torn rotator cuff in sideline collision at end of game

When people say, “Football is a dangerous sport,” it’s typically in the context of player safety, but this week, Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coach Danny Smith reminded fans it’s not just the players putting their bodies on the line. The 70-year-old assistant coach tore his right rotator cuff in three places after a sideline collision in the Steelers’ win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

The coach who’s been with the team since 2013 will now need surgery to repair his shoulder. He revealed to reporters that the collision was one of the hardest hits he’s ever taken, and that includes his years as a defensive back in college. In fact, most of the injuries he’s suffered in his life have come as a sideline spectator – not as a player.

“I’ve been hit a lot, and been hit hard,” Smith said, via ESPN. “I got a lot of metal in my body over that. I got to learn to get the hell out of the way.

“Got hit in college in a Clemson-Georgia Tech game. Got a tibial plateau fracture, got a plate and six screws in my knee. I had that hit at training camp with [Antonio Brown] when I broke my ribs and my L1 vertebrae in my back. This one hurt.”

Smith on the mend following Steelers sideline collision

When Steelers safety Damontae Kazee came flying into Smith on the sideline, defensive end Rodney Williams came to his rescue. Apparently, the special teams coach was just a step too slow in moving out of the way.

“I just saw him on the ground, and he couldn’t get up and I saw everybody coming over,” Williams said. “So, I just picked him up, tried to carry him out, make sure he was all good. …

“He was trying to scoot out of there, but he couldn’t really move for real, so I just had to get my dog up out of the pile.”

Watch Rodney Williams here. Yinzer Army medal commendation stuff.
Sees a comrade down (Danny Smith) and drags him to safety.

pic.twitter.com/QgCdrAxKhC

— Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) November 12, 2023

Smith may have lost his shoulder for the time being, but at least he didn’t lose the piece of gum he was chewing – a habit his players are very familiar with.

“I looked at him, he was still chewing it,” Williams said. “I don’t know how he was able to do that, but yeah, he was good.”

The Steelers, now with a 6-3 record thanks to the win over Green Bay, face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Browns just lost quarterback Deshaun Watson for the remainder of the season so the Steelers might shred their next opponent, too. Despite the news about Watson, the Browns are still 1.5-point favorites at home, according to FanDuel.