01 TJ tranny grind

Ever since that evil drunk dude hit me in my jeep, I occasionally have a
somewhat grinding noise putting my jeep into 1st gear from a dead stop...

For instance, I will come off a freeway and stop at a light... jeep in
neutral. Then I push in the clutch, move the shifter to 1st and thats when
I hear gear grinding. The sound occurs before I release the clutch, and
keeping my foot on the clutch moving the shifter back to neutral and then
back to 1st it doesn't make the noise again. I get it once in while after
stops, but it happens every time I drive it. What's going on? Could the
tranny be pushed over or something? I was hit on the left, pushed 10 feet,
smacked to a dead stop on my right via a big curb.

Any ideas?

Troy