NFL Vet Shaun Smith -- Kanye Did the Right Thing ... I'd Fight for My Wife, Too

Kanye West just gained a HUGE ally ... 325-pound former NFL star Shaun Smith, who's PROUD Yeezy got violent with an alleged Kim K hater ... and says he woulda done the same thing.

Smith called in to the "TMZ Sports" show ... and told us if anyone called his wife an "n***er lover" (as the guy in the Kanye altercation allegedly did), he "might have to choke the sh*t out of him like Latrell Sprewell did P.J. Carlesimo."

He went on to defend his position -- it's clear, Smith is a guy you don't wanna piss off.

But Smith's former Cincinnati Bengals teammate Chad Johnson feels differently ... telling TMZ Sports West was wrong to resort to violence.

"[Ye] took the violent route and that isn’t’ the right thing, but protecting his family is a different thing… the words shouldn’t bother you and in a position like that… ignore it in general."

Shaun pointed out that Chad might of been singing a different tune back in 2005 ... when Johnson was more of a loose cannon.