Alex Smith not only returned to the NFL after a gruesome injury nearly cost him his leg, he actually played a crucial role in multiple games. It was a remarkable recovery that earned him well-deserved Comeback Player of the Year honors for what was ultimately the final year of his career.
The former No. 1 overall pick retired from sport in 2020 and continues to serve as a broadcast analyst today.
ESPN did an awe-inspiring 30 for 30 on Smith’s emotional, life-altering journey back to the gridiron. He is a living testament to the power of will and never giving up.
Smith suffered a spiral and compound fracture to the tibia and fibula in his right leg when he was sacked by Kareem Jackson and J.J. Watt during a game against the Houston Texans on November 18, 2018. Initial surgery to repair the broken leg went well, but he developed a flesh-eating bacterial infection that required him to undergo 17 different surgeries during four separate hospital stays in a nine-month period.
Doctors initially suggested that amputation was the only option. However, they tried one last operation to try and save his leg by transferring muscle from his left quadriceps to below the knee on his right side, and it worked.
Smith missed all of 2019 while battling back from the injury and infection. He was later cleared to return to the team in July 2020. He actually went 5-1 with 167 completions for 1,582 yards and six touchdowns in six starts that season.
It has been almost six years since the initial tackle. Smith’s leg has come a very long way but it will never be the same again, obviously.
The 40-year-old recently shared a photo of his lower body sunburn on Instagram.
The gnarly image really puts Alex Smith’s journey in perspective. That is how it looks today. For him to be able to walk, let alone actually play meaningful games in the NFL, is a miracle.