Who's not a fan of Alex Smith?
The man nearly lost his leg after a gruesome injury in 2018, and then he nearly lost his life. He underwent 17 surgeries and spent nine months in the hospital. And he never thought about calling it quits in the NFL.
Now he's back under center for the Washington Football Team. Smith made his first start since that fateful game two years when Washington visited Detroit last Sunday -- and threw for a career-high 390 yards.
Again, who's not a fan of Alex Smith?
Here's how Matthew Stafford greeted his counterpart at midfield after the Lions knocked off Washington at the buzzer:
"Holy shit, man. You played your f**king ass off today, man. I'm happy to see you out here. That was f**king awesome."
Couldn't have said it better.
Stafford knows a thing or two about staring down injuries himself. He played through broken bones in his back in 2018, and on Sunday he played through a torn ligament in his throwing hand.
"He probably doesn't get enough credit for his toughness," offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said Tuesday. "I don't think you always know the pains that he goes through."
But Smith overcame an injury nastier and scarier than almost anything you'll see on the football field -- and now he's back out there, just like he said he would be from the start.
Yeah, that's f**king awesome.
