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Alex Smith almost lost his leg after a horrific injury and complications from the 17 surgeries that followed.
On Sunday, less than two years later, he cleared another huge hurdle on his return to the NFL.
Washington has excluded Smith from the list of physical disabilities to perform, allowing the quarterback to practice in the pads when that part of camp begins Tuesday.
Smith, 36, will now have a chance to compete for the starting position, as Washington coach Ron Rivera previously told reporters he would be included in the battle with Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen if he was. PUP activated.
“He looked good, he really did it,” Rivera said earlier this month. “It was exciting to see his progress. He looked very fluid. It’s a tribute to who he is, a tribute to his coaches and doctors to get to where he is today.
The last time Smith performed, on November 18, 2018, he was sacked and broke his tibia and fibula in his right leg. He had three metal plates placed in his leg, but then he developed bacteria in his blood and the infection triggered a series of other surgeries that put his leg at risk.
“Maybe cutting off the leg is the best thing?” Smith wondered, as documented in an ESPN E: 60 episode about his rehab.
Instead, doctors took muscle tissue from other parts of his body and placed it in his leg, and he responded even better than expected. Once he was finally released from the hospital, he still needed a metal brace around his leg and used a walker to get around, but eventually began his road to the NFL.
On Saturday, Smith’s family gave him a party to mark the occasion, spraying him with champagne.
“Hard work pays off!” Smith’s wife Elizabeth wrote in an Instagram caption with the video. “Lots to celebrate in the Smith House tonight.”
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