Alex Smith: From Collegiate Sensation to NFL Veteran

Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. Smith's journey from a relatively unheralded high school player to a coveted NFL prospect is a testament to his hard work, adaptability, and leadership qualities. His college career at the University of Utah was nothing short of spectacular, setting numerous records and establishing him as one of the most exciting players in college football.

Early Life and High School Career

Smith was born in Bremerton, Washington, and grew up in La Mesa, California. His father is Douglas D. Smith. 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.

Despite his success in high school, Smith was considered an undersized quarterback running the wing-T at Helix High. He only received one scholarship offer from Utah.

Arrival at Utah and the Urban Meyer Era

Smith's arrival at the University of Utah coincided with a period of transformation for the football program. After Smith's freshman year of 2002, when Utah went 5-6 and fired coach Ron McBride, Urban Meyer took over as the Utes' new head coach. This marked a turning point in Smith's career and the program's trajectory.

2003 Season: Sophomore Breakout

Smith became the starter as a sophomore in 2003. In 11 games, Smith threw for 2,247 yards with 15 touchdowns, culminating in a win in the Liberty Bowl and a No. 21 final AP ranking. Smith had been mixing in and Brett Elliott started, but after Elliott broke his wrist, Smith took over from there. It ended up being a system that launched him, built around the quarterback - the run game, the pass game, the spread option. No one had seen anything like it.

2004 Season: A Year for the Ages

The 2004 season was nothing short of historic for both Smith and the Utah Utes. He led Utah to its first-ever 12-0 season and a BCS bowl berth, the Fiesta Bowl against Pitt. Smith claimed MVP honors in the game, passing for 328 yards and four touchdowns in the 35-7 win. The Fiesta Bowl appearance marked the first time a team from a non-automatically qualifying BCS conference played in a BCS bowl, earning the Utes the distinction as the inaugural "BCS Buster." The Utes would finish at No. 4 in the AP Poll.

During the 2004 season, Smith ranked second nationally in efficiency rating (176.5), third in yards per attempt (9.3), fifth in completion percentage (67.5), and fifth in passing touchdowns (32). At the conference level, he set the record for career completion percentage (66.3%), and he led the MWC in passing (2,952 yards) and all-purpose yards per game (298.6).

Accolades and Records

In his final season (2004) of competition at Utah, Smith was a collegiate quarterback sensation who was a Heisman Trophy finalist, the National Player of the Year by The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated and the CoSIDA football Academic All-America of the Year honoree.

Smith holds Utes records for career pass efficiency (164.4), career yards per play (7.19), single-season touchdown passes (32 in 2004) and single-season total touchdowns (42 in 2004). He set Utah records for career completion percentage (63.3% -- now 2nd), single-season pass efficiency (176.5 in 2004 - now 2nd), and career quarterback wins (21 - now 4th). Smith also excelled in the classroom, earning CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year honors and as a First Team Academic All-America pick in 2004.

An exceptionally gifted passer and runner, Alex Smith went 21-1 as a starter, establishing himself as a transformational player during a new era of college football and the emergence of the spread offense. Selected as a First Team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America in 2004, Smith finished fourth the Heisman Trophy voting while claiming Sports Illustrated National Player of the Year honors. A Mountain West Conference (MWC) First Team selection in 2004 and Second Team in 2003, Smith led the Utes to MWC titles in 2003 and 2004. He was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Year in 2004.

He compiled a 21-1 record as a two-year starter for the Utes, throwing for more than 5,000 yards and 47 touchdowns.

NFL Career

The top pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Smith has gone on to an NFL career with three teams - the San Francisco 49ers (2005-12), Kansas City Chiefs (2013-17) and Washington Redskins (2018-present) - and is a three-time Pro Bowl selection.

San Francisco 49ers (2005-2012)

The San Francisco 49ers, who held the first overall pick, had hired a head coach with a strong personality in Mike Nolan. 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. 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's first three games of the season saw him throw three touchdowns, no interceptions, and amass 814 yards. After struggling in Kansas City, he then threw for three touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders, setting a career-high.

Smith met Joe Montana for the first time on November 5, 2006, during a game against the Vikings. The 49ers wore the throwback jerseys of the 1989 team which Joe Montana and teammates wore.

In need of a statement game, the 49ers traveled to Seattle for a Thursday Night Football game against their division rivals. During the broadcast on NFL Network, Cris Collinsworth noted that if he were starting an NFL franchise, he would have taken Broncos rookie quarterback Jay Cutler before Alex Smith and fellow rookies Matt Leinart and Vince Young - and that Smith was not even close to the others. Going into the 4th quarter, the 49ers were trailing the Seahawks 7-3, and pulling out a win looked unlikely. Smith however performed brilliantly in the fourth quarter, and drove the 49ers on a long touchdown drive down the field early, taking a narrow 10-7 lead. Late in the quarter, with the same score, Smith struck again - shaking off an almost certain sack, rolling to the left and completing a pass to Frank Gore for a touchdown to give the 49ers a 10-point lead. On the next drive, Smith cemented the victory by leading yet another touchdown drive, and rushing for a touchdown on a naked bootleg. Collinsworth had earlier in the game observed that "Alex Smith is the best I've ever seen him. After losing to the Cardinals the following week, the 49ers' final game of the 2006 season was against a Denver Broncos team looking for a playoff berth. In a major upset, the 49ers defeated the Broncos and knocked them out of the playoffs. Overall, Smith improved in his second year by throwing as many touchdowns as interceptions.

Smith entered the 2007 season learning under a third offensive coordinator in three seasons. Norv Turner was hired as the head coach by the San Diego Chargers. Jim Hostler replaced Turner. Hostler's system involved a mixture of the offensive system installed by Turner with elements of the West Coast offense installed by Mike McCarthy for the 2005 season. In the season opener on Monday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals, Smith led the 49ers to a 20-17 win in a two-minute comeback. While down 17-13 with less than two minutes left, Smith drove down the field, highlighted by a 25-yard scramble. After the scramble, he threw a 22-yard pass to Arnaz Battle that was fumbled on the one-yard line, but recovered by a 49er so the ball was placed back on the one-yard line with 26 seconds left. The following play, Battle ran an end-around for the game-winning touchdown. On September 30 in the first quarter of a game against the Seattle Seahawks, Smith injured his right shoulder after getting sacked by Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard. Smith suffered a grade-three separation and the initial diagnosis was that surgery would not be required. The 49ers did not win another game until November 25. Among all NFL quarterbacks who qualify for league statistics, only the Jets' Kellen Clemens had a poorer passer rating than Smith (57.2), Smith completed under 50% of his passes, far below the league average of 60%. Smith was at odds with 49ers head coach Mike Nolan over the severity of his injury. Nolan publicly implied that Smith was not fighting through the injury, while Smith felt that the injury still affected his ability to throw accurately, an account that was supported by players from the Seahawks. Nolan decided to rest Smith following a loss in that game to the Seahawks on November 12 and start Trent Dilfer to allow Smith's shoulder to recover.

Smith entered training camp competing for the starting quarterback job with Shaun Hill, who won both of the games he started in 2007, before suffering a back injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and journeyman J. T. O'Sullivan. Smith would be learning under a fourth different offensive coordinator in four seasons; Jim Hostler was fired and replaced by former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator and St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator/head coach Mike Martz. Unlike the previous three seasons, where offensive continuity was somewhat maintained, Martz's system was completely different. On September 10, the 49ers placed Smith on injured reserve after Dr. After Nolan was fired on October 20, 2008, the 49ers expressed interest in having Smith remain for the 2009 season if he was willing to renegotiate his contract. On March 10, 2009, the 49ers announced that his contract had been successfully restructured and that he would stay with the team. He took a considerable pay cut to remain with the 49ers, with whom he would be under contract for the next two years. Smith was to make $4 million a season in 2009 and 2010, in addition to base salaries that were not immediately made known.

Mike Singletary became the head coach after a successful term as the interim head coach in 2008, and Martz was fired as offensive coordinator due to the huge differences in offensive philosophies between himself and Singletary. Jimmy Raye II was hired to replace him, marking Smith's fifth different offensive coordinator in five seasons. During the off-season, the 49ers drafted Michael Crabtree to be the featured receiver that Smith had been lacking throughout his NFL career.

After restructuring his contract with San Francisco, Smith lost the battle for the starting quarterback position to Shaun Hill. However, in a Week 7 game against the Houston Texans, Smith replaced Hill in the third quarter, after Hill had performed poorly and the Niners faced a 21-0 first-half deficit.

Smith entered the 2010 season as the starting quarterback. For the first time in his career, he returned under the same offensive coordinator from the previous season, as Raye was retained. However, continuity in a poor system resulted in the team starting 0-5, and on September 27, Raye was fired and replaced by quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson. Under Johnson, Smith was expected to run a variation of the spread offense that he ran in college. The 49ers continued to build their team having now drafted Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati with their two first-round picks to provide more protection. In Week 5, Smith was booed at home and the crowd chanted for his backup, David Carr, before leading the 49ers to two scoring drives to close within three points. However, he was hit as he threw on the third drive attempt, resulting in an interception and a 24-27 loss, dropping the 49ers to 0-5. Smith once again suffered an injured shoulder in the 49ers week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers and was not available to play Week 8 against the Denver Broncos in London. He was replaced by Troy Smith, who had 14 games of experience in the NFL before joining the 49ers organization just before the start of the regular season. Troy Smith took Smith's position after winning two straight games against the St. However, following a loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 13 that left the 49ers with a 4-8 record, Troy Smith was demoted to backup in favor of Alex Smith. Smith acknowledged that his performances needed to be more consistent. On December 12, 2010, the 49ers played the Seahawks in San Francisco. Smith was booed by the Candlestick crowd after the first two plays. However, the boos turned to cheers after Smith helped lead the 49ers to a 40-21 victory over a division rival. The win moved the 49ers one game behind the division leaders (Rams and Seahawks) with three games left to play. However, the 49ers struggled the following Thursday night against the San Diego Chargers and Troy Smith started the following game against the Rams. Troy Smith struggled in the loss to the Rams and Alex relieved Troy Smith in that game. After the game, Singletary was fired and Alex finished the season starting against the Cardinals.

The 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh as the new head coach, and Greg Roman replaced Johnson as the new offensive coordinator. Harbaugh made it known to Smith that he was welcomed back on the team. During the season, Smith's game showed marked improvement, especially in his leadership and intangibles. While he did not put up big numbers, he helped the 49ers win games through efficient play, minimizing mistakes and controlling the clock. In a road game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 4, Smith rallied the team from a 23-3 second-half deficit to win 24-23, completing 9 of 9 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter alone. Two weeks later, Smith led his third come-from-behind road victory of the year with a six-yard fourth and goal touchdown pass to tight end Delanie Walker, beating the Lions in Detroit 25-19. In a week 10 matchup against the New York Giants, he completed 19 out of 30 passes for 242 yards.

In the Divisional Round, Smith led the 49ers to a 36-32 victory over the New Orleans Saints. He threw for 299 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions while rushing for an additional touchdown. Smith led touchdown drives of 80 and 85 yards in the final 4:02. He scored on a 28-yard touchdown run, and he threw a game-winning 14-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis with nine seconds remaining, eschewing a more conservative open receiver that would have settled for a field goal and a tie. Analyst Ron Jaworski said "Alex Smith won the game, not Alex Smith by not making mistakes. His performance won the game for them." Smith also became the first quarterback in NFL playoff history to lead two go-ahead touchdowns in the final 3 minutes of a game. The 49ers lost 20-17 in overtime to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game.

Smith became a free agent following the 2011 season. The 49ers were reported to be interested in signing Peyton Manning, who had just been released by the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts, leading Smith to visit the Miami Dolphins, reportedly with the intent to sign with the Dolphins if the 49ers signed Manning. Shortly after Manning decided to join the Denver Broncos, Smith signed a three-year contract worth $24 million to remain with the 49ers. During the offseason, the 49ers added wide receivers Randy Moss and Mario Manningham in free agency, and A. J. Jenkins in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft to improve a passing game that lacked production from the receivers the previous season.

Smith began the 2012 season as the starting quarterback. Smith completed 18-of-19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a 24-3 Monday night victory over Arizona, and San Francisco was 6-2 after eight games. In the next game against the St. Louis Rams, Smith suffered a concussion in the second quarter, throwing a touchdown with blurred vision before exiting the game. Smith missed the following game, and Kaepernick was 16 of 23 for 243 yards with two touchdowns in a 32-7 win over the Chicago Bears. Harbaugh was impressed with Kaepernick, and said "we have two quarterbacks that have a hot hand" while dismissing any rule that a player should not lose their starting job due to an injury. A quarterback controversy began.

Kansas City Chiefs (2013-2017)

After the trade became official, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid stated that Smith would be the starting quarterback for the 2013 season. Smith's job as the starter was solidified during OTA's (Organized Team Activities, a term usually referring to NFL pre-season activities). According to coaches and teammates, Smith displayed a very high "football IQ," and his accuracy in passing was lauded as the best many had ever seen. According to Kansas City's quarterbacks coach, Smith was "super intelligent" and had all of the intangibles that he looked for in a quarterback. The Chiefs were the last unbeaten team in the 2013 NFL season with Smith winning his first nine regular-season starts, gaining 1,… Smith guided them 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.

Washington Redskins/Football Team (2018-2020)

During his first season in 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 the starter midway through the season, leading the team to a division title and earning NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

Retirement

Smith retired during the 2021 offseason after being released.

tags: #Alex #Smith #college #career