Way of Champions Podcast

#499 Alex Smith, 16 Year NFL Quarterback, on His Comeback from a Life Threatening Injury, the Importance of Gratitude, and Mentoring the Next Generation

11 snips
Sep 16, 2026
Guest
Alex Smith
Alex Smith, former No. 1 NFL draft pick, 16-year quarterback, and 2020 Comeback Player of the Year, reflects on surviving a catastrophic leg injury and returning to football after 17 surgeries. He discusses rebuilding his identity after retirement, gratitude as an antidote to fear, mentoring Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Mahomes, supporting foster youth, and the leadership lessons shaped by his remarkable recovery.
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INSIGHT

Rebuilding Identity After Football

  • Alex Smith’s identity became inseparable from quarterbacking after 16 NFL seasons, making his injury an emotional identity crisis beyond physical recovery.
  • Returning let him say goodbye to football on his own terms and accept that he could adapt afterward.
ANECDOTE

The Infection That Nearly Cost His Leg

  • A compound fracture became necrotizing fasciitis, sending Alex Smith into septic shock and repeated emergency surgeries.
  • Doctors removed much of his lower leg, but a plastic surgeon pursued limb salvage instead of amputation.
ANECDOTE

When Football Stopped Matter­ing

  • While wheelchair-bound with an external fixator, Alex Smith stopped thinking about football and grieved ordinary family activities.
  • He feared never wrestling with his children, playing catch, or walking with his wife again.
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