Dietrich-Smith in position to secure long-term future

Around this time two years ago, Evan Dietrich-Smith was filling out an application to be a substitute teacher near his hometown of Salinas, Calif.

Out of the NFL after the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks no longer wanted his services, the offensive lineman figured it was time to start thinking about another way to provide for his wife, Misty, a Manitowoc native he met while playing for the Packers, and their soon-to-be born daughter, Jocelyn.

But he never stepped foot back in a classroom because the Packers gave him a second chance, something rare for an undrafted free agent. Now, the ...