Sal Alosi a 'Good Kid' Who 'Made a Mistake,' Friends of Jets Coach Say

New York Jets strength coach Sal Alosi has been the talk of the sports world since his inexcusable trip of Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll in Miami's 10-6 win over the Jets Sunday. Members of the media, the football community and the general public all weighed in with their thoughts.

Nowhere to be heard, though, were the people that know Alosi best.

Taken outside the prism of this incident, those closest to the 33-year-old Alosi characterize him as a stand-up guy, a hard worker, generous, dedicated and an asset to the Jets' team and organization.

FanHouse spoke exclusively with Arizona Cardinals strength and conditioning coach John Lott, who gave Alosi his start and mentored him.

"He is a good kid, very conscientious, willing to learn. He did everything I ever asked him to do," Lott said. "Good strength coach, makes the Jets a better team and that's without a doubt. He is one of the biggest assets they have in that building. He is a hidden gem inside that building."

Alosi's younger brother, Pete, who serves as the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the Cardinals, said that, "(Sal) has always been a responsible guy growing up. Just like every other kid, he did some dumb things every once in a while, but he's always been a leader, been a hard worker, never had much given to him, so worked for everything that he got."

Lott echoed that talk of Sal Alosi as a leader: "He runs with his players, he lifts with his players, he sweats with his players, his players respect him. ... He's an alpha dog, he's a leader and it's natural to him and some guys it's not like that."

Asked Tuesday on "Rome is Burning" about Alosi, current Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who was with the Jets from 2004-2008, responded that the move was out of character and added, "I really liked him as a strength coach. I thought he did a really good job -- very energetic, high-motor guy."

The late Joe Gardi, Alosi's football coach at Hofstra University, once described Alosi as "just special." In a 2000 interview with a Long Island, N.Y., newspaper, Gardi told of how Alosi was turned down for a scholarship, walked on, earned his place as a starter, and, as a senior, led the team in tackles.

Neither Alosi's younger brother nor Lott made excuses for what the Jets coach did during the team's 10-6 home loss. Lott described Alosi as a "competitive little bleep," but admitted that, in the moment, his protege "was a numb-nut. He shouldn't have done it. I've been doing this a long time, over 20 years, a lot of times you get frustrated and things like that."

Alosi has been suspended by the team indefinitely and fined $25,000. His original punishment called for him to sit out the rest of this season, but the Jets stiffened the sentence after "new information" came out.

But on top of those penalties, Alosi has also become a national punch line, a Google search trend and a sports radio debate topic -- his temporary lapse in judgment playing on a 24-7 SportsCenter loop. Alosi's picture was splattered across the cover of the New York Post, and he's become a symbol of a Jets team that appears to have lost its way.

Alosi's father told Brian Lewis of the New York Post, "He is a good kid. I'm biased 'caused he's my son, but I just hope they give him a fair shake."

For an NFL player, a shot at redemption after a mistake may only be a play away. For Alosi, who makes much of his impact behind the scenes and whose future with the Jets is very much in doubt, it's not so simple.

But for those paying attention, Alosi has also made a positive impact on the Jets. Lott spoke of the team's strong finish last year, the improvement in players like Shonn Greene and a squad that has stayed, for the most part, healthy as proof that Alosi's done good work off the field.

Still, he may never live down his on-field actions. But Lott, for one, hopes that he can.

"He's human, and humans make mistakes and he made a mistake," Lott said. "This is not going to define Sal Alosi."