Seriousness of Redskins' Alex Smith's gruesome leg infection revealed in new documentary
WASHINGTON - For the first time since Washington Redskins’ Alex Smith was sidelined following a serious leg injury in November 2018, fans were able to see the gruesome aftermath of a post-surgery infection that nearly took the quarterback’s life.
In a promo for a new documentary called “Project 11,” ESPN revealed the extent of Smith’s injuries days after undergoing surgery to repair a compound fracture of his right tibia and a fractured right fibula.
A graphic image (WARNING: IMAGE IS VERY GRAPHIC) of Smith’s severely infected leg tells the story of how the 35-year-old quarterback needed 17 follow-up surgeries on his leg and at one point was told by doctors that they needed to consider amputation.
Smith told ESPN in February that he was getting ready to get discharged right around Thanksgiving 2018 following a “great” surgery, when he became septic and the infection spread to his blood.
The next few weeks were a blur for Smith, who said it was only after he was in the clear that his family and doctors revealed how grave the situation was at one point.
“Having gone septic, I had no idea what that even meant. I didn’t know the mortality rate ... very much lucky to be alive, very lucky to still have my leg.”
Smith, 35, hopes to play football again. He signed a four-year contract with the Redskins in 2018 and had the team vying for the playoffs before he was injured in a game against the Houston Texans.
The documentary will air on ESPN Friday at 7:30 p.m. EST.