BOL: Take us through your coaching travels.

Friend: "I'm at UAB now coaching the offensive line. I was at Georgia as a GA for a couple years, was at Gardner-Webb University for two years coaching the O-line, then when coach [Neil] Callaway got the UAB job I came to UAB. ... I actually GA'd at Alabama for [three] years when I got done playing ... then I went to Livingston for a year, coached at West Alabama, then I went and coached at Tuscaloosa Central High School."

BOL: How have you settled in at UAB after so many stops?

Friend: "It's good to get back so close to home. My wife is from Birmingham and I'm from Philadelphia, Miss."

BOL: Who have been some of the most influential coaches you've been around?

Friend: "Starting with Neil Callaway our head coach at UAB, I played for him at Alabama and worked with him as a GA at Georgia so he's had a big influence in my career. Kim Helton who is our offensive coordinator at UAB has been a big influence on me, coach Stallings, coach DuBose, Mark Richt - I've been fortunate to be around some good coaches."

BOL: How is your offensive line shaping up at UAB this year?

Friend: "We have a chance to be a pretty good group. Everybody's back from the last two years so we think they'll be a pretty good group."

BOL: Best Alabama memories?

Friend: "Probably the relationships you build with your teammates. ... That's probably the biggest thing. The Auburn game in '96 stands out as much as any of them, and we were fortunate to have of bunch of them."

BOL: Which former teammates do you stay in touch with?

Friend: "Jeremy Pruitt who is down in Tuscaloosa now, different guys who coached in high school and at different places. Freddie [Kitchens] being with the Cardinals. We're still doing that same [coaching] deal so we stay in touch probably a little more than I do with the other guys."

BOL: You seem to be in pretty good shape for an ex-offensive lineman. Most get heavier, not lighter.

Friend: "My wife doesn't feed me enough I guess [laughing]. I try to keep it off, I'm trying to get some more off before the season. Once the season starts, you don't have time [to work out]. ... I played at 285, 290 and I'm about 245 now."