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After seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, offensive tackle Andre Smith is playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

(Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings)

After starting the first 89 games of his NFL career at right offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, Phil Loadholt had missed the past 21 because of shoulder and Achilles tendon injuries. When he suffered another leg injury in the offseason that would cause him to miss the start of training camp, it was just too much. Loadholt announced his retirement on July 25.

That did two things for former Alabama All-American Andre Smith: Loadholt's retirement put him on the inside track to handle the duty at right offensive tackle for the Vikings in the 2016 season and allowed him to reclaim 71 as his jersey number.

Smith wore that number at Huffman High School and Alabama and during seven NFL seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. It's the number worn by such tackle luminaries as Hall of Famer Walter Jones from Aliceville, Willie Roaf and Tony Boselli. Smith made the switch from 72 back to 71 on Thursday.

"It's a great honor," Smith told the Vikings' official web site. "I've been wearing this number since high school, so it's great to have my number back. ... The list can go on and on of guys that wore number 71. I watched them all growing up, so that's the number I always wanted. I take something from all of those guys' games and try to put it in mine."

Smith's early trajectory seemed to have him on course to join the top tackles in the 71 Club.

Smith is the only offensive interior lineman to earn Alabama's Mr. Football Award, winning the 2005 honor at Huffman. In his three seasons at Alabama, Smith started at left offensive tackle and capped his Crimson Tide career by receiving the 2008 Outland Trophy, presented annually to the best collegiate interior lineman.

Cincinnati selected Smith with the sixth pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. And the accolades stopped.

A holdout netted Smith a four-year, $26 million contract, but it also kept him away from the team until Aug. 30, 2009. Then he suffered a broken foot in his first week of practice. The next season, another broken foot sidelined him after Nov. 10. In his first two seasons, Smith played in 13 games.

Smith settled in as the Bengals' right offensive tackle in 2011 and 2012 before signing a three-year, $18 million to stay in Cincinnati. In the past two seasons, though, Smith missed nine games with injuries, and, after using their first two picks in the 2015 NFL Draft on tackles, the Bengals did not re-sign him when Smith became a free agent after the 2015 season.

Smith signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal in March with Minnesota. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was Cincinnati's defensive coordinator during Smith's first five NFL seasons.

Zimmer was asked why Smith hadn't continued to be a star in the NFL. "I have some ideas," Zimmer told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, "but I don't want to share them. It wouldn't be good."

Smith has some ideas, too.

"It's football," Smith said. "I just happened to break my foot twice, but I bounced back from that and played really good."

Minnesota is hoping Smith can shake off his injury history and play as he did in the 2011 through 2013 seasons.

"I know (offensive line coach) Tony (Sparano) is going to push him and drive him and keep on him and keep working him," Zimmer said. "I don't know if that's what he needs. He really is a good athlete. His career started out (poorly). He had a broken bone in his foot and he was overweight and all that. I think he's matured quite a bit. I still think he's got a lot of good football in him."

Smith and Loadholt seemed headed for a training-camp competition to become the Vikings' starter at right offensive tackle. With Loadholt out of the way, Smith and T.J. Clemmings alternated at the spot in the early practices, but Clemmings, who started in Loadholt's place as a rookie in 2015, seems targeted as Minnesota's swing tackle.

"I don't want to let coach Zimmer down,'' Smith told the Pioneer Press. "Just having a relationship with him and seeing me for five years and knowing the player I am, the person I am, trusting him, he's just a great coach and person. He's trying to push you all the time.''

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The Vikings kick off their four-game preseason schedule on Friday, when they visit Smith's previous team, the Bengals, at 6:30 p.m. CDT.