Chiefs' Sean Smith mentors rookies despite looming suspension

Aug 11, 2015; St. Joseph, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Sean Smith (21) signs autographs for fans after the training camp at Missouri Western State University. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Smith decided to take a different approach to his training camp demotion.

The Chiefs' newest second-team cornerback isn't complaining like a diva. Instead, he's mentoring the players who'll step up while he serves a three-game suspension.

Those players -- Marcus Peters and Steven Nelson -- could ultimately take his job for good. Smith doesn't care one bit; he's happy to play the player-coach role.

"They (Peters and Nelson) have that dog in them in the sense that when they get beat, they don't get down on themselves," Smith told the Kansas City Star. "They come back to the line of scrimmage ready to go for that next rep."

Any advice Smith can impart will go a long way. Peters and Nelson have a combined zero NFL starts, after all. They also missed their rookie minicamps due to NFL Draft rules.

So both Peters and Nelson will eat into Smith's snap total as they prepare. And when Peters comes off the field, he confers with Smith for tips and pointers.

"He came in and started off a little shaky," Smith said. "But you're coaching him up, you see him get better and better every week. You're proud of that guy, it's like a little brother out there."

(h/t Kansas City Star) Denny Medley - USA TODAY Sports