Alex Smith has made long-awaited return to the football field.
After suffering a devastating leg injury in November of 2018, the Washington Football team quarterback has appeared in his first game in two years. The 36-year-old veteran quarterback made his season debut against the Los Angeles Rams after starting quarterback Kyle Allen suffered an injury during a helmet-to-helmet collision.
Truly never thought Alex Smith would play NFL football again. Pretty special.
pic.twitter.com/FiB6FrJCgR— Blue Wire (@bluewirepods) October 11, 2020
Here's a standing ovation from Smith's family.
Standing O from the Smith Fam 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/h6TTMSQRWu
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 11, 2020
Smith's injury wasn't only career-threatening — he could have lost his leg. He underwent 17 surgeries and had multiple stays in the hospital over a nine-month period. Amputation was a definite possibility due to the severity of Smith's left leg injury.
As his wife Elizabeth explained, Smith's leg injury wasn't a sports injury — it was comparable to a military injury.
Via Jim Reineking of USA Today Sports:
“The way that the doctors explained it to us, he no longer has a sports injury,” Smith's wife, Elizabeth, said. “He has what would be more comparable to a military injury. He has a blast injury.”
And now, less than two years later, he is back on the football field.
Truly a terrific story, indeed.