Former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith was presented with the 2021 George Halas Award by the Pro Football Writers of America on Monday. The award is given annually to a figure who has overcome significant adversity.
Smith has been a tremendous story across the NFL over the past couple years as he attempted to return to the field after a gruesome leg injury ruined his 2018 season. In the aftermath of a hit against the Houston Texans in which he suffered a compound fracture of his leg, Smith faced significant questions far greater than the game of football. It was a question as to whether or not he would be forced to lose his leg after subsequent surgeries left him dealing with infection and then sepsis.
What makes Smith’s story so compelling is not only was he able to rehabilitate his leg and return to walking normally again, but he remained committed to returning to the game he loved so much after a period of consideration and debate. In 2020, after over a year-and-a-half away from football, Smith climbed the depth chart of the Washington Football Team once again to claim the starting quarterback role.
Alex Smith earned an award for adversity on Monday.
Last season, Smith ended up starting six games for Washington down the stretch and won five of those contests. The end results were mixed with 8 interceptions with only 6 touchdowns, but he also completed 66.7 percent of his passes and threw for nearly 1,600 yards in that span.
Smith retired earlier this year when it was clear that Washington was going to move on at the quarterback position and no other obvious starting roles were going to be open to him. Looking back at his career, Smith was a key leader and performer for the Chiefs in their return to sustained success under Andy Reid and helped usher in the current Super Bowl run.