As a dedicated fan of Washington for close to 30 years, the 2018 season which saw the team jump out to a 6-3 start and first place in the NFC East with newly acquired QB Alex Smith under center, provided more hope than we as fans have been used to.
On November 18, 2018 that all changed as Smith suffered a catastrophic leg injury which would put his own optimism to the test. Smith’s incredible journey from that day to this one is brilliantly covered in the E:60 documentary, Project 11.
ESPN produces incredible sports documentaries (The Last Dance, anyone?). There was no question that Project 11 was going to be good, but the few teasers released throughout the week leading up to it made it clear that not even the most dedicated fan was aware of just how bad things had gotten following Smith’s injury. While there understandably weren’t many interviews that were conducted in the moment, there is a lot of footage. The E:60 also features interviews led by Stephania Bell with Smith, his teammates, doctors, and especially poignant ones with Smith’s wife Elizabeth which demonstrate the weight of the difficult choices that were faced during his recovery. The production is beautifully shot, with quick cuts of the injury and Smith’s time in the hospital to show the frantic nature of the immediate aftermath, accompanied with a score that helped elicit a well-deserved, tear-jerking response.
Any good comeback story requires someone that you want to root for. Just to touch on Alex Smith as a person, he’s widely regarded in the NFL as a consummate professional, from the way that he prepares, his willingness to help others regardless of competition, and generally just being an ideal teammate outside of being one of the winningest QB’s in NFL history. In total, he just seems like a good dude.
The documentary begins by pointing out the eerie similarity between Smith’s injury and that of former Washington QB Joe Theismann, who suffered a career ending broken leg on the exact same date 33 years prior. It doesn’t elaborate that they both broke their right tibia and fibula (at roughly the same place on the field) during a game that finished with the same score (among other obscure stats) which is all completely insane. From there, it rewinds and covers the usual backstory with pictures and highlights of Smith’s life growing up with football – including his time at Utah with head coach Urban Meyer (in which he had an undefeated season), capped by a Fiesta Bowl victory that ultimately led to him being selected as the number one pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.
Project 11 briefly recounts how his career took him from San Francisco, to Kansas City, and lastly to Washington. This shows the mental toughness that made him a successful QB but also some of the adversity that he faced – all of which helped him prepare him for his life’s biggest challenge. That all leads up to the hit, which is shown a few too many times once you know the result. It leaves Smith disheartened, with his back on the ground, helmet removed, clutching the crest of his pads and spitting into the air. This is a sight that I can still recount as I watched the game from a local bar, knowing immediately along with Smith that his season was over. It’s hard to watch, but nothing compared to what’s next.
As the astute graphics count the days since injury, Elizabeth expressed the initial thought that her husband would spend a few days in the hospital and then be able to go home to rehab. That optimism quickly turned, as he developed a fever and his leg became ravaged by four different bacteria. As sepsis set in, dead skin and muscle tissue had to be removed from the leg through debridement to where doctors stated it more closely resembled a military blast than a football injury. The video and images taken during this process are tough to stomach — it’s almost comparable to a shark bite from Jaws. It was at that point that his wife tearfully explained that if amputation was the best option to save his life, then that should be considered because she, “can’t go home to my children without him.” At that point, doctors were in life-saving mode.
Smith made the choice to try and salvage his leg, and 13 surgeries later, he was finally able to go home. As part of that decision, and then again afterwards, he was cleared by the Secretary of Defense to work with military doctors more familiar with the type of trauma that he had suffered. Through this and the interviews with this wife, you understand how amazing Smith’s perspective on life is and the gratitude that he had even through his recovery.
His immediate appreciation towards being able to play with his children and continue to be the same father and husband that he was before is evident. You also see the drive that propelled him his entire life on full display as he now works hard to defy odds and pursue his dream of once again returning to the gridiron. The gleam in his eye as he throws a football for the first time since his injury and the way his voice breaks as he talks about not being an emotional person really brings a reaction.
It is hard to be anything but inspired by Alex Smith and equally by Elizabeth, who was there every step of the way. Whether he is able to ever take another snap in an NFL game or not remains to be seen, but regardless, his toughness is unmatched and his story can serve as an inspiration to anyone who watches the captivating Project 11.
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