After years of facing him in practice without tackling, 49ers defense prepares for Alex Smith

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Over all those years and thousands of practice snaps, the stingy San Francisco defense never got to put a hit on Alex Smith.

And this is a group known for its vicious blows, from sack man Aldon Smith at linebacker to pounding safety Donte Whitner.

So, no surprise Alex Smith's former teammates on the opposite side of the ball will be salivating to finally chase the quarterback down when they face him and the Chiefs in a preseason game at Kansas City on Friday night.

Cornerback Carlos Rogers plans to talk trash — because, he insists, Smith will certainly be expecting it.

Smith has begun anew in the AFC with the Chiefs after being traded in March. He lost his starting job with San Francisco in November to Colin Kaepernick.

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