Alex Smith documentary 3 takeaways from Project 11

ESPN aired an hourlong documentaryFriday night detailing NFL quarterback Alex Smith's career and the truly horrific nature of the leg fracture that has kept him off thefield for the past 18 months.Here are three takeaways from the E:60 production,"Project 11" (Smth wore No 11):His situation was worse than the outside world knewNov.18, 2018, will forever be ingrained in Smith's mind. In the Redskins' Week 11 game against the Texans,J.J. Watt and Kareem Jackson combined to sack Smith in the Chris Carpenter Jersey third quarter. The hit snapped Smith's leg in two and immediately ended his season. Twodays after that game, Washington coach Jay Gruden would besix to eight months after surgery.MORE: As we now know, Smith didn't come close to making a return within that time frame. The injury became far more gruesome after Smithnearly had to have his leg amputated because offlesh-eating bacteria. Doctors discovered Smithwas suffering from necrotizing Lane Thomas Jersey fasciitis.Smith's wife, Elizabeth, said in the documentary,"He'ssepticand, e sentially, dying. We're being inundated with medical language. Family, friends, everybody is on high emotion."Redskins team physician Dr. Robin West, who performed the surgery, told Smith's wife that if West herself were in Smith's situation, then she would make the decision to amputate her leg.Smith wasn' Ken Boyer Jersey ta star, but he wasbetter than many give him credit forSmith played under the expectations of a No. 1 overall draft pick, and it's fair to say he didn't live up to those expectations. But Smith was a quality player in the NFL. He was 19-5-1 as the 49ers' starter under Jim Harbaugh before being injured in Week 10 of the 2012 season. He couldn't get his job back fromCollin Kaepernick, who led San Franciscoto Super Bowl 47.He was traded to the Chiefs in 2013 and then ledthem to the playoffs in four of five seasons. Kansas Cityhad future MVP Patrick Mahomes in waiting, however, and few quarterbacks in the Tim McCarver Jersey league would be able to keep Mahomes on the bench. The Chiefs traded Smith to the Redskins in March 2018.Before being injured, heled the Redskins tofirst place in the NFC East with a 6-3 record. Washingtonfinished the 2018 season 7-9and then fired Gruden five Adolis Garcia Jersey games intothe 2019 season en route to finishing with second-worst record in the league (3-13).Smith's return to football remains doubtfulSmith said in the documentary that he hopes to playin the NFL again. Before"Project 11,"that seemed like a po sibility. He wouldn't be the first athlete to recover from a horrific leg injury, right? After getting an inside look at since the injury, it's easy to wonder if that' Dominic Leone Jersey seven po sible.His leg is barely recognizable as ahuman appendage. He receivedclearance from the U.S. secretary of defenseto consult with military doctors, and he met withwar veterans who suffered similar injuries in combat. Not to mention, Smith will be 36 on May 7. Only a handful of active NFL quarterbacks are 36 or older, and none of them have gone through a recovery that compares to Smith's.The resilience Smith has shown is incredible, but taking another NFL snap would rival the greatest comebacks in sports history.