Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. Smith played college football for the Utah Utes, earning first-team All-American honors and winning the 2005 Fiesta Bowl as a senior. He was selected first overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL draft.
This article is about the American football player. For other people named Alex Smith, see Alex Smith (disambiguation).No. 11
May 7, 1984
Bremerton, Washington, U.S.
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
215 lb (98 kg)
Utah (2002–2004)
5,193
5,193
3,250
62.6%
199–109
35,650
86.9
Smith struggled with consistency and injuries until 2011 when he led the 49ers to their first division title and playoff win since 2002, along with their first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1997. The next year, however, a concussion resulted in Smith losing his starting position to backup Colin Kaepernick. He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, who he guided to four playoff runs between 2013 and 2017, their first consecutive division titles in franchise history, and their first playoff victory since 1993 in the 2015 season. Smith also received three Pro Bowl selections with the Chiefs and led the league in passer rating in 2017. He was traded to the Washington Redskins in 2018 to make way for Kansas City's second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but was credited with helping develop the future NFL MVP.
During his first season with Washington, Smith suffered a life-threatening injury to his right leg that nearly resulted in amputation. Although expected never to play again, Smith completed a lengthy rehabilitation process that allowed him to return in 2020. 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 offseason after he was released by Washington. His return from injury is cited as among the greatest in NFL history.
Early years[edit]
Smith was born in Bremerton, Washington on May 7, 1984, and grew up in La Mesa, California. His father, Douglas D. Smith, was an executive director at Helix High School, which he attended.[1][2][3]
As a starter for the Helix Highlanders during his junior and senior years, Smith led his team to a record of 25–1, including two San Diego CIF section championships. He was named to the first-team all-conference and all-county squads in the San Diego CIF system. Smith also earned the conference offensive player of the year twice, and twice won the team MVP for Helix. During his time at Helix, Smith set a school record by throwing for six touchdowns in one game, and recorded the second-highest completion percentage in San Diego CIF history. While at Helix, he was teammates with future NFL star Reggie Bush. Smith and Bush were finalists for the 2004 Heisman Trophy, making it the first time a high school had two finalists at the same ceremony.[4] Bush went on to win the 2005 award.
Smith was president of his senior class in high school, earned college credits through a program at San Diego State University, and took a dozen Advanced Placement tests.[5]
Personal life[edit]
Smith married former Oakland Raiders cheerleader Elizabeth Barry in 2009.[175] They have two sons and a daughter.[175]
Smith has a brother and two sisters. One of Smith's great-grandfathers was an Austrian immigrant of Serbian descent who immigrated to the U.S. from the Austro-Hungarian Empire when he was 12 years old. To honor him, Smith, his brother, and his father are each tattooed with four firesteels, the traditional Serbian cross.[176] Smith's uncle, John L. Smith, was a college football head coach until 2018,[177] and his cousin, Chris Shelton, is a former Major League Baseball player.[178]
In 2007, Smith founded the Alex Smith Foundation and the Alex Smith Guardian Scholars Program, which helps send foster teens to college.[179] He started the program with $500,000,[179] and continues to personally fund the majority of the charity.[180] The Boston Globe held up Smith's foundation as a model charity that properly allocated its funding, noting that it raised over $800,000 from 2008 to 2010 and spent 91 percent of the funds on scholarships and grants.[181]
In 2014, Smith was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree by the University of Utah, where he also delivered the commencement speech for the graduating class.[182]
In 2021, Smith started a collection called Just Live with a clothing brand; 100% of the proceeds from the collection are donated to the Center for the Intrepid where he spent most of his rehabilitation process.[183]