🙏 Inside Alex Smith’s Miraculous NFL Comeback

Alex Smith’s return to the field is the most courageous thing we’ll see in the 2020 NFL season. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Alex Smith’s return to the football field was a result of a triumph of the human spirit ... we get an inside look at what an NFL game day sounds and feels like in 2020 ... and we take a look at Derrick Henry’s jaw-dropping high school football stats. You don’t need to be a fan of the Washington Football Team, or even like football much at all, to be a fan of Alex Smith. You just need to place some value in the following human qualities: bravery, tenacity and perseverance. When Smith entered the game during the second quarter of Washington’s 30-10 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, it was the result of a triumph of the human spirit. “And it was a miracle,” said FOX Sports college football analyst Urban Meyer, who oversaw Smith during his college career at Utah. “I teared up.” He wasn’t the only one. The journey Smith has undertaken since he went down with a horrific compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in November 2018 has been incredibly uplifting and terrifyingly fraught. Amid 17 surgeries and hundreds of hours of grueling rehabilitation were several dangerous infections, prompting the real possibility that his leg could be amputated and that his life could be in danger. The decision to try to save the leg was Smith’s, with doctors and his family believing that the risks of that course of action were too high. [STORY IMAGE 1] Even if his involvement this season amounts to nothing more than the game time he saw on Sunday, when he came in after Kyle Allen was injured while trying to rush for a first down, Smith will still be every sentimentalist’s choice for the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year. “It was great to be out there, the feeling, the range of emotions, the good and the bad,” Smith told reporters. “It’s why I fought so hard to come back. Sometimes you can take it for granted. Certainly to be away from it for a couple years, I’ve missed it.” His reappearance under center can be attributed to the success of medical science and personal resiliency, according to renowned orthopedist Dr. Matt Provencher, a former New England Patriots and Navy SEAL physician who now serves as FOX Sports’ injury and performance analyst. “From a medical standpoint it is incredible that he is back,” Dr. Provencher told me. “It is a testament to his incredible fortitude. The mental part of a recovery like this is everything. “It is hard to even imagine being in that situation of dealing with all the post-operative pain associated with so many surgeries, fixing the bones, the limb salvage procedures, all the skin grafts. It has been an immense effort on his part and a beautifully executed medical plan using techniques that are beyond cutting edge.” [STORY IMAGE 2] During his rehab, Smith spent time at the Center of the Intrepid in San Antonio, where he met and interacted with a number of wounded warriors. The type of trauma suffered by Smith two years ago has significant parallels with injuries caused when military personnel step on incendiary devices in combat areas. According to Dr. Provencher, the recent conflicts the United States has been involved in have resulted in groundbreaking advancements in treatment to these kind of injuries and American orthopedic trauma surgeons have refined exceptional techniques that are now being shared internationally. Smith has regularly paid tribute to those who assisted him along the path to recovery, with his treatment spearheaded by Washington team physician Dr. Robin West. An indicator that he was ready to return to full football duties came in the lead-up to the season, [when an uplifting video emerged of him being sprayed with champagne by his family](. [STORY IMAGE 3] Yet even then, it appeared that his primary role would be to back up Dwayne Haskins, in the hope that the same kind of expertise that assisted Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Mahomes could have a similar impact. When Haskins’ struggles led to him being benched, Allen got the nod as the team's starter. With Washington currently sitting at 1-4, yet still only one game out of first in the awful NFC East, Allen is expected to return this weekend against the New York Giants. “Alex is a brilliant person to have in that situation,” Meyer added. “He is one of the smartest guys I know and his skill set is incredible, but he is also one of the toughest individuals I have come across. I was surprised he came back once I realized the extent of the injury, but not surprised because I knew how tough he is.” FOX Sports NFL analyst Michael Vick echoed Meyer’s sentiments regarding Smith’s remarkable courage and toughness through this challenging time. “He has had a stellar career and to show this kind of heart to come back is inspirational,” said Vick, who spent time with Smith during his brief stint as a coaching intern with the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2017. “The thought of coming back to help out his team has been at the front of his mind.” [STORY IMAGE 4] It would be all too easy to doubt Smith. And to wince every time he makes a play; he was sacked six times on Sunday. How can his body possibly be the same? How can his mind be there after everything? Let’s ask another question – would you feel confident betting against someone who has surmounted so much already? Smith’s revival was put into starker focus by Dak Prescott’s gruesome injury this past Sunday. Remember that Smith’s condition was far, far worse, so much so that as of Monday he had held off from contacting Prescott because he didn’t want to cause further concern. “I thought a lot about shooting him a text, but part of me also didn’t want to scare the hell out of him by … getting him thinking he might be headed down this road,” Smith told Dan Patrick. “I feel like I’ll let the infection risk kind of get out of the way and hopefully reach out soon.” Smith will be back on the sidelines this weekend, offering advice, lending support, and imparting wisdom. Whatever role he has the rest of this season, however Washington’s campaign ends, whatever the rest of his career holds, there is only one way to describe what he has achieved over the past two years. A victory. [STORY IMAGE 5] Here’s what others have said ... Elizabeth Smith, Alex Smith’s wife: “I didn’t get it for the longest time ... knowing how much an injury like this can affect a person mentally, physically and emotionally, for Alex to overcome that and get himself back to the point where he can be bigger than any of this is amazing. People need to understand Alex sets goals in front of him and it’s always just knocking down the next one and the next one.” Ron Rivera, Washington Football Team head coach: “I realized the gravity of it, but I also realized he's a football player who has been waiting for his opportunity. He got his opportunity and he did a good job. I was very pleased with what I saw. He was put in a very difficult position, and I thought he handled himself very well ... He's done a great job and it's a hell of a story.” Barack Obama, former President of the United States: “Congratulations to my friend Alex Smith, for fighting back from a life-threatening injury to start at quarterback again for the Washington Football Team. It’s a testament to his strength, determination and the love and support of his family.” [IN OTHER WORDS] - [ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and NFL Nation]( take us inside the NFL’s “new norm” and show us what a game day sounds and feels like in 2020. - There are three ways Dak Prescott’s contract talks with the Cowboys will play out. [Yahoo Sports columnist Dan Wetzel]( explains how each option ends with Prescott winning big despite his injury. - History says you don’t win titles after 35 years of age, but LeBron James is re-writing those rules. [Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz]( takes a look at how many more rings James can get. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Chances are that if you’re reading this, you’ve probably already seen the highlight of Derrick Henry’s vicious stiff-arm on Josh Norman. We could feature the video highlight in this section, or the different photos that were captured of the play, or even Henry’s response of “I’ve been doing too many curls,” when he was asked about the play. But we’re going to go a different route here, and feature something else that popped up on our timeline shortly after Henry’s viral moment. Check out this tweet from the Ringer’s Rodger Sherman, which shows Henry’s high school football game log. During his senior season at Yulee High School (FL), Henry rushed for 4,261 yards and 55 touchdowns in 13 (yes, just 13) games! That’s an average of 328 yards and 4.2 touchdowns per game. And wait, it gets even better … in Yulee’s Week 5 game against Andrew Jackson High, Henry rushed for an eye-popping 510 yards and six touchdowns. Henry set the national high school football record for career rushing yards, totaling 12,124 yards while at Yulee High. This brings a whole new meaning to the term “stuffing the stat sheet.” All we can say is … WOW! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (FS1, 6 p.m. ET) Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series. WWE NXT (USA, 8 p.m. ET) Damian Priest will defend his NXT North American Title against Dexter Lumis. Tampa Bay Rays vs. Houston Astros (TBS, 8:30 p.m. ET) Zach Greinke takes the mound for the Houston Astros, who go up against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet]( Georgia at Alabama: ALABAMA -6 In a game filled with wildly intriguing matchups across the board, Najee Harris and the Alabama offense against Jordan Davis and the Georgia run defense could be the deciding factor in this matchup. For starters, Georgia is allowing just 1.5 yards per carry through the first three weeks of the season. The last defense to allow fewer than two yards per carry in a season was TCU all the way back in 2008. On the other side, Harris has been great through three games, averaging 141 yards per contest. He leads the nation with 10 rushing touchdowns, which is the most in the SEC through three games in at least the last 15 seasons. Expect Alabama’s defense to get after Georgia QB Stetson Bennett, who will be making only his third collegiate start. If you’re looking to cash in on a wager that could lead to a nice payday, you might want to consider this action. 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