Additionally, Bell commended Elizabeth for how she kept the couple's three young children "unfazed" from what was going on, and prevented them from truly understanding the dire nature of their dad's injury. Bell believes one day he can play football again. It concludes with him playing with his children, even sprinting and showing little signs of any limitations, determined to return to the field for one last shot. Another surgery had been required as … that up with a full, formal written valuation report. But Smith could barely move without assistance, and a full recovery seemed far away. We can help! This was about life, waking up in the middle of the night, showering, playing with my kids. "You saw a lot of people trying to get better. But it didn't initially appear to be life threatening. ... At one point he’s asked to decide between amputation or limb salvage, a surgical procedure that replaces a diseased bone and reconstructs a functional limb. 1 overall pick’s rough start in the NFL, losing his job with the 49ers to Colin Kaepernick and with the Chiefs to Mahomes after successful seasons at both stops. After two weeks, he started eating food and has done great ever since.”, Alex and his parents are equally thrilled with the results. Shocking photos capture moment man is shot dead amid Denver protests, Diabetes drug recalled due to high levels of cancer-causing agent, Nurse who spoke at 2020 RNC busted for shooting woman after argument, Tearful Kim Jong Un says North Korea will mobilize nukes if threatened, Bill Burr's monologue on 'SNL' ignites Twitter firestorm, © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Giants defensive star may be lost for season, Dak Prescott's brother shares emotional hospital message after gruesome injury, Daniel Jones squandered his massive opportunity. But Smith saw people who were trying to move on with their lives. Eleven-year-old battles achalasia—and gets back to eating pizza—with the help of a new procedure called peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM), developed at Stanford, that treats the condition with minimal pain and scarring. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. It shows how bad it got for him after suffering a spiral and compound fracture of his right tibia and a fractured right fibula in a loss to the Texans on Nov. 18, 2018. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. We will provide you with a verbal valuation and In fact, he gave Dr. Wall a picture of himself with a note that reads, “Thank you, Dr. Wall, for fixing my esophagus.”, “It’s really rewarding,” says Dr. Wall, “to see Alex go from being scared and nervous about eating, understandably, to being back into baseball and just a jovial, happy kid.”. It was the result of necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating bacteria. We can help! He vividly remembers the day of his injury. Here’s a look at #Project11 pic.twitter.com/lwcj1l0fV6. "We're in life-saving mode now and leg-saving mode, but it's in that order. Stay connected to the Capitals and Wizards with the MyTeams app. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC. West told Smith the scenario was that if the leg healed, it would function normally. ESPN's Stephania Bell credits Alex Smith's wife, Elizabeth, for her role in his recovery originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington, Jared Goff on Alex Smith: Comeback one of the most amazing things in football history, The 10 biggest takeaways from NFL week five: Cleveland gather momentum while Dallas suffer devastating setback, Alex Smith Returns, Dak Prescott's Season Ends. April 29, 2020 | 9:55am | Updated April 29, 2020 | 11:55am, When @Redskins QB Alex Smith broke his leg in 2018, no one thought it would take 17 surgeries to fix. "Alex is not Alex anymore," she recalled. It includes cameos from Urban Meyer, Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, JJ Watt and Jim Harbaugh and details the former No. Here are five takeaways from the Week 5 matchup. It tracks him from a young age, as an under-recruited quarterback who blossomed into a huge star at Utah. Call our offices for a free valuation. “After the procedure,” says Dr. Wall, “he had to stay in the hospital for only one night. “It was such a huge relief to finally know,” says Alex’s mom Kari. It is touching. Then comes the difficult-to-watch injury 10 games into the two-time Pro Bowler’s first year with the then-first-place Redskins. Although he's still a significant way away from returning to the field, Smith has overcome tons of obstacles since the injury. And we can’t take it for granted.”. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. The focus went from simply saving Smith's leg to saving his life, and doctors were uncertain if they could control the infection. Alex Smith & Co. offer a wide range of press advertising in the print media. It is also jarring and gut-wrenching. Thanks for contacting us. "Do you know how many people would love to trade positions with me?". Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had successful surgery Sunday night after suffering a compound right ankle fracture and dislocation in a win over the New York Giants, the team announced. "You're getting a little of the 'why me? Privacy Notice The process has taken much longer than Smith originally thought, but he was pushing sleds, squatting and rehabbing with his brace. Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify, Blue Rush: A NY Giants Podcast On the latest episode of the Redskins Talk podcast, Bell explained to Mitch Tischler how Smith's wife, Elizabeth, has been tremendous for the quarterback throughout his recovery. Alex Smith has already done the impossible by returning to the practice field for the Washington Football Team, 21 months after suffering a compound leg … His journey back from injury has been followed closely by cameras and will be shown in an ESPN documentary on Friday titled "Project 11.". ESPN's Stephania Bell credits Alex Smith's wife, Elizabeth, for her role in his recovery. “I couldn’t fathom seeing this in a war movie,” said his wife, Elizabeth. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy. “I mean, there are so many people who put so much into it. His days on the hot seat and the Atlanta sidelines ended with his firing Sunday, along with the dismissal of GM Thomas Dimitroff.Â. It was either that or salvage it by taking muscle tissue from other parts of his body — like his right calf muscle and quadricep muscle from his other thigh, along with some overlying skin — and transplanting them into the leg, which they opted to do. ", "I think the statement says it all. “Very, very humbling,” he said. Now, Smith is anxious for the next steps. Before the brace was finally set to come off -- 239 days after the injury -- Smith broke down. Read More. © 2020 NFL Enterprises LLC. Can I push it that far?”. ", "I was like, 'What?'" I’m feeling pretty good about the rest of my life, regardless of what happens with football.”, Giants' championship-winning linebacker dies at age 89, THE BEST INSIGHTS FROM THE ULTIMATE INSIDERS, Pinstripe Pod: A NY Yankees Podcast He's made significant strides throughout his rehab process, and Bell believes one day he can play football again. "He was in a mode where they were concerned about saving his leg, but the [doctors] were also [concerned] whether to save his leg or not and whether sacrificing his leg might be the thing that could save his life.". Before heading up to New York after a two-game homestand, the Washington Football Team named Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling the 2020 Week Six Base of the Week Presented by Nissan. Thirteen surgeries and 59 days after the injury, Smith was cleared to leave the hospital. Sitemap “I’m anxious for the next steps, what I have left in front of me, where the road ends,” he said. It took eight debridements, which is the removal of damaged tissue from the body, to finally get the infection under control, but it came at a cost: much of the muscle on Smith's leg was gone. ", Smith began rehab, and he didn't even want to think about football. Your Ad Choices Smith threw four touchdowns, completing 30 of his 46 pass attempts for 378 yards and no interceptions, while also carrying the ball 8 times for 57 yards. "[They] asked to respect their privacy. It was dead skin and muscle tissue caused by necrotizing fasciitis, otherwise known as flesh-eating disease. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. ", "But as Elizabeth pointed out to me, 'I have three kids who are in school, and I don't want them hearing things that will scare them from other people,'" Bell continued. Elizabeth said. Smith's blood cultures came back positive, meaning he had bacteria in his bloodstream. "I'm completely helpless," Smith said. Before suffering the injury early in the third quarter in Week 11, Smith completed 205 of 308 passes for 2,180 yards and 10 touchdowns with five interceptions on the season and led the Redskins to a 6-3 record. ", Saw the picture of Alex Smith’s leg so here’s a video of his comeback. Redskins quarterback Alex Smith looks on from a box during the second half of the game between the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons. Alex Smith and the Chiefs lost to Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Wild-Card Playoff Game on January 4, 2014. And then Texans players Kareem Jackson and J.J. Watt converged on Smith shortly after the ball was snapped, and as he was brought to the ground, his leg buckled and broke. Washington Redskins' Alex Smith before an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019. Are you looking to buy or become a landlord? "But I decided to do the limb salvage, to try to save it. "Immediately, I remember thinking, 'The season's over," Smith said. Fortunately, Smith did not need to have his injured leg amputated. They quickly diagnosed Alex with esophageal achalasia, a condition where poor muscle function throughout the esophagus combined with tight muscle fibers in the lower esophagus prevents food and liquids from passing through to the stomach. Alex Smith added another defining chapter to his comeback story. “His eyes were huge,” says Kari, “and he said, ‘Mom, I can feel it going down.’ It wasn’t a feeling he’d had for months.”. "Football might not be out of the question.". A month later, his medical team arranged for him to visit the Center for the Intrepid, a medical rehabilitation center for United States servicemen and -women. During that time the condition went unsuccessfully treated and Alex lost a staggering thirty-five pounds. Quarterback Alex Smith Reflects On His Recovery And Discusses What's Next, Alex Smith Gives An Update On His Recovery, Which Now Includes Running And Making Dropback Passes, Redskins Name Alex Smith As Team's Ed Block Courage Award Recipient. The piece gives insight into Smith the person, tough and determined. Smith joined the Redskins during the offseason via trade with the Kansas City Chiefs and quickly settled in as the starting quarterback in Washington. Then they blamed allergies. “Even if it’s a diagnosis no one wants.”. But then he threw a football for the first time since his injury, and that's when he decided that "football might not be out of the question. He couldn’t do anything on his own. What was A.J. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. "You certainly didn't see anyone feeling sorry for themselves," Smith said. "I didn't want to have to be choosing between these two things," Smith said. The process took days. ", In less than a week, Alex Smith went from starting at QB for the Redskins to fighting for his life.#Project11 airs this Friday at 7:30 PM ET on ESPN. Here’s a look at #Project11 pic.twitter.com/lwcj1l0fV6, 4.