Alexander Douglas Smith is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He was born on May 7, 1984. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honours and won the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.
He became Washington’s starter midway through the season, leading the team to a division title and earning him NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Smith retired during the 2021 off-season after he was released by Washington. His return from injury is cited as among the greatest in NFL history.
What Happened To Alex Smith?
On Nov. 18, 2018, Smith was tackled in the backfield by the Texans. His right leg was caught at an awkward angle, and Smith suffered a compound fracture that broke both the tibia and fibula in his right leg.
Things were complicated for Smith as he worked on recovering from the injury due to an infection of flesh-eating bacteria after Smith’s initial surgery. Following that first procedure to address the compound fracture, Smith needed 16 more surgeries before his leg could be fully on the way to recovery.
Even after returning to the field, Smith still has to wear a special titanium brace to protect his leg after he lost lots of tissue throughout the surgeries.