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 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.

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.

He led the Utes to victories in the 2003 Liberty Bowl and the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.

Smith earned a bachelor's degree in economics in two years and began work on a master's degree before being drafted.

At the NFL combine, Smith recorded a 4.7 time in the 40-yard dash, and had a 32-inch vertical leap.

He also scored 40 out of 50 on the Wonderlic exam.

The San Francisco 49ers, who held the first overall pick, had hired a head coach with a strong personality in Mike Nolan.

Nolan also evaluated California quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but did not believe that Rodgers's attitude could co-exist with him.

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.

He finished fourth in voting for the 2004 Heisman Trophy and was selected as the 2004 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year.

Smith posted a 21–1 record as a starter in college, while leading a high-powered spread offense under head coach Urban Meyer.

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.

Bush went on to win the 2005 award, since vacated.

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.

Smith attended the University of Utah and played for the Utah Utes, wearing number 11.

Smith was the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, selected by the San Francisco 49ers.

In July 2005, Smith agreed to a six-year, $49.5 million contract with the 49ers; the contract included $24 million in guaranteed money.

Dealing with an injury and being taken in and out of the lineup by head coach Mike Nolan, Smith played in nine games in his rookie season, recording just one touchdown pass while throwing 11 interceptions.

After the challenges faced in his rookie campaign, Smith went into the 2006 season with a new offensive coordinator (Norv Turner) and an improved set of offensive weapons around him.

The 49ers used their top draft choice on tight end Vernon Davis.

They also upgraded their offensive backfield, trading underachieving running back Kevan Barlow to the Jets, making Frank Gore the feature back.

Smith also spent the off-season working daily with his new coordinator, wide receivers and tight end, while working to improve his technique and add bulk.

The improved offensive cast clearly helped Smith develop in his second year, especially early.

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.