You could make an argument that quarterback Alex Smith was one of the more underrated quarterbacks and individuals in San Francisco 49ers history. Coaches and teammates loved him and admired his work ethic. However, the situation he was thrown into after being drafted No. 1 overall wasn't exactly fair.
The 49ers had the top pick in the draft for a reason. They were bad. Really bad. They were a rebuilding organization, and much of the pressure to turn things around quickly was on Smith. When that didn't happen, he shouldered much of the blame.
Smith was the subject of an E:60 documentary that follows the quarterback in his journey back from a gruesome compound fracture of his right leg, an injury sustained while with Washington in 2018.
The documentary also chronicled his entry into the NFL with the 49ers.
"The plan was to get him in there and play him right away," said Dallas Cowboys head coach and former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy. "Our whole team, we were kind of starting over, and we thought he was going to be the guy that could lead us through that."
Smith made seven starts during his rookie season and threw just one touchdown compared to 11 interceptions.
"It was just absolutely wild," Smith said of being drafted by San Francisco with the hopes of carrying the team. "I still feel like it's pretty surreal thinking back to that. ... A lot to handle, both physically and mentally. All of a sudden, a couple hours later, I'm on a plane to San Francisco.
"I remember being in that first minicamp, out there in stretch lines, and there's like a 100 journalists and photographers out there taking pictures of you stretching."
Smith didn't enjoy a winning record until six years later, after the arrival of new head coach Jim Harbaugh.
"I lost one game in high school," Smith said. "I lost one game in college. I hadn't really known struggle, turmoil, hardships in football. It was hard. All of a sudden, you hear whispers about 'bust' and things like that, and determined that's not going to be me."
Smith's success with Harbaugh lasted just one-and-a-half seasons before he suffered an injury and was replaced by quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Smith did not start another game with San Francisco and watched from the sideline as his replacement led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.
That offseason, after eight seasons with San Francisco, he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he never had a losing record and helped the team reach the playoffs in four of his five seasons there. Then he was replaced again by another younger quarterback and traded again, this time to Washington.
The emotional and inspiring documentary from ESPN about Smith aired on Friday. The quarterback hasn't played football since November 18, 2018, the day of his injury, and it remains to be seen if he ever will. He remains under contract with Washington.
It was reported in February that Smith was preparing to test his leg in real football scenarios. After a life-threatening infection, several surgeries, and a lengthy rehab, Smith isn't just lucky to have his leg, he is lucky to be alive.
"I need to prove that I can come back and play quarterback in the NFL," Smith told ESPN in February, "and if I can do that, that would be great and it'll get figured out."
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