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Alex Smith has already been dubbed the Comeback Player of the Year by some people. The fact that he has been cleared to practice after almost losing his leg is amazing.
He is well aware of of how unlikely we ly his return to football was. He spoke candidly about his fears, and his decision to allow ESPN to document his recovery process.
Alex Smith said his arm has felt good at practice the last few days. He doesn't have pain in his leg, but there is some discomfort in his knee and the orthotics he has to wear. He mentioned being inspired by other athletes who also wear the brace and have drop foot.
Training Camp Press Conference - Alex Smith https://t.co/svLbug7vfh
— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) August 19, 2020
Return to football:
Alex Smith just started his press conference. He said he's gotten stronger and "come a long way." The end goal is to play football at a high level, but he wants to take things one day at a time.
— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) August 19, 2020
Asked if he will know when it’s time for full team drills, Alex Smith says it’s hard to quantify but he will know when. “Today was the best I felt out there for sure.” pic.twitter.com/q8lDF8REXZ
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 19, 2020
Progress:
Alex Smith is addressing reporters now. He says he feels like he's making progress, but still getting comfortable with certain aspects like his orthotic.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) August 19, 2020
ESPN Documentary 'Project 11':
Alex Smith: "It was really hard for me for a long time. It was something that took several months for me to process, for me to get comfortable with my new leg and my new normal." Said that's why he chose to do the documentary on ESPN so he had the choice to air it or not.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 19, 2020
Alex Smith: "It took a long, long time before I could even look at my leg."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 19, 2020
Smith said it took several months to process and be comfortable with his leg and his new normal. He appreciated the privacy at first, but he also was glad he was able to document his injury and subsequent recovery.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) August 19, 2020
Alex Smith: I'd be lying if I didn't have 'Why Me?' (moments).
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) August 19, 2020
Why come back after serious injury?:
Alex Smith explained why continuing to push the limits in his recovery is important to not only him, but also his kids and others dealing with limb injuries.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 19, 2020
A must-read quote: pic.twitter.com/wqgizsn5si
Alex Smith on why he's even attempting a comeback: "To see what I can do and knock down those walls" of doubt that he had.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) August 19, 2020
There are many who have questioned why Smith even wants to come back from hist injury. Ever since he's been on the road to recovery, he's been focused on seeing how much he can accomplish.
— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) August 19, 2020
Alex Smith: "You naturally build up a ton of walls wondering what you'll ever be capable of again, what life will be like. ... Ever since I've been on the road to recovery, [it's been] to see what I can do." ...Said the closer he gets, the hungrier he gets to reach his goal.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 19, 2020
Alex Smith says he feels like his comeback is similar to running a marathon, and when you get close to the finish line, the competitiveness kicks in and you want to finish the race. @ Ashburn, Virginia https://t.co/k6qIZy90ws
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 19, 2020
Goals:
Smith doesn't have a set goal in mind. He's never approached the game with his own individual goals in mind. He signed up to play a team sport, he said, and he's always been focused on helping his team.
— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) August 19, 2020
Smith said that there's "no doubt the end goal of playing at the highest level."
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) August 19, 2020
But he's not getting ahead of himself. The next step now is thriving in the opportunities he's given and progressing to 11-on-11 drills.
Practice:
Alex Smith: "I feel really good working through progressions ... ball handling, a lot of things like that. The next progression is the nonchoreographed things, like when the pocket breaks down. It's hard to drill all those things."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 19, 2020
Getting hit:
Alex Smith says he’s thought about taking another hit “more than I can say. That’s been in the back of my head throughout this process.” Says he’s determined not to let that fear dictate his decision making.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 19, 2020
Alex Smith "lucky to put that jersey on, the pads on."
— Chris Russell AKA The Rooster (@Russellmania621) August 19, 2020
On taking a hit "I've thought about that more than I can say...It is a progression....I gotta go out there and get hit. That my leg is strong enough." @WSHFootballSI @1067theFan @LockedWFTPod
Virtual offseason:
Smith says the offseason has been fun to get back into everything. The zoom meetings and "talkin ball."
— George Wallace (@GWallaceWTOP) August 19, 2020
Throwing arm:
Smith said his arm has felt great for the past two days. He likes being able to throw to moving targets, which is something hasn't done since his injury.
— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) August 19, 2020
Smith said that he hasn't noticed any different in his velocity. He feels really strong out there throwing.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) August 19, 2020
Thinking about his leg while on the field:
Alex Smith says he's thinking about his leg less and less as he continues to practice: "Even today it felt so much more natural."
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) August 19, 2020
Smith said things felt natural today. He's still thinking out his leg when he's out there, but he's been focusing more on playing football lately.
— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) August 19, 2020
Wearing a brace:
Alex Smith on why he was inspired by Michael Porter Jr. and Jaylon Smith: pic.twitter.com/1VWNkQ9l6g
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 19, 2020
Alex Smith said he'll always have to wear some form of an AFO brace.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 19, 2020
He currently wears a custom SpryStep brace that is similar in design to the SpryStep brace Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. wears.
Smith says that athletes who are wearing ankle-foot orthosis (AFOs), like Jaylon Smith and Michael Porter Jr., are inspirational to him as he attempts to play while wearing one.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) August 19, 2020
Alex Smith, on Cowboys LB @thejaylonsmith and Nuggets forward @MPJr, two athletes with drop foot who played or are playing quite successfully with AFO braces: "For me, those guys are inspirational to me to see if I could go do this."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 19, 2020
Watching games from the owners box:
Smith said watching games in the owner's box last year was a different experience. It was a strange feeling to see games from such a different perspective.
— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) August 19, 2020
Parenting:
Smith said that he learned pretty quickly that parenting isn't all about telling his kids things. It's about showing them and leading by example.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) August 19, 2020
Fear:
Alex Smith: "I'm not going to be ruled by fear. It's easy to talk about, but for me to be about it and go about it the right way."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 19, 2020
Patience:
Smith said that patience was crucial throughout this process. Giving his body and mind time to recover and process his progress.
— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) August 19, 2020
No pain:
Alex Smith says he has no pain when he runs. The rod in his leg can create some knee discomfort but has nothing to do with the bones. Orthotics can create discomfort too.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) August 19, 2020
Alex Smith says if he feels pain/sore in his leg, it's more so in his knee because the rod runs through it. But no pain when he runs.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) August 19, 2020