Alex Smith

Former NFL Player and Analyst at ESPN

Speaker

There is no better model for perseverance than Alex Smith. After suffering a life-threatening injury to his right leg that nearly resulted in amputation, Smith’s return to the field is regarded as one of the most iconic moments in football history.

Smith would complete his comeback in October of the 2020 season and go on to appear in eight games earning a 5-1 record in his first six starts. His determination and success earned him the NFL Comeback Player of the Year honor. His story of triumph and return was documented in a special edition of ESPN’s E60, Project 11 in May 2020, which highlighted how doctors and the Smith family had to make life-changing decisions due to a post-operative infection. His inspiring return to the field was also rewarded by the PFWA with the 2021 George Halas Award for overcoming adversity.

Smith retired from the NFL in April of 2021 after an incredible 16-year career, which began when he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the number one overall Draft pick in 2005. In his illustrious career, the California-native passed for more than 35,000 yards, threw nearly 200 touchdowns and appeared in more than 175 games. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2013, ’2016 and 2017.

Since retiring from football, Smith has showed no signs of slowing down. He joined ESPN in 2021 as an NFL analyst across a number of their properties including Monday Night Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown, and SportsCenter.

Smith is a graduate of the University of Utah and was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2004 and lead Utah to a victory in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, finishing in the national top-five before declaring for the NFL draft.
Off the field, Smith is a dedicated husband, father and philanthropist as he founded The Alex Smith Foundation, which provides foster teens with the tools and resources needed to transition to successful adulthood.

Smith and his wife Elizabeth live in northern California with their three children.