CNN
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No one knows the dangers of playing in the NFL as much as former quarterback Alex Smith.
In 2018, while playing for Washington’s manager, the veteran signalling caller suffered a horrible leg injury, which would turn his entire life upside down.
The severity of the injury was enough to have he undergone multiple surgeries to treat spiral and combined fractures in the right tibia and fibia. But then the real battle came.
Smith then suffered from sepsis – a life-threatening response by the body to tissue damage, organ failure, and infections that could lead to death – had to amputate his leg.
Incredibly, 21 months after the sport, he returned to practice in 2020 and completed an incredible comeback. This is something many NFL fans know.
But perhaps not many people realize how much pain Smith was in during his recovery.
Smith said he was overwhelmed by the realisation that he and his wife had to deal with their own pain management in order to leave the hospital and continue rehabilitation at home.
They were handed a large folder of instructions and rescue medication to incorrectly administer his painkillers.
“It’s a 100% injury rate, which is a joke in the NFL,” Smith told CNN Sports. “It’s going to happen to all of us and it’s a big part of the recovery process where we have to deal with the pain.
“Does it affect how you engage with the world in all respects? It’s the way you fall asleep at night, the way you get out of bed in the morning, how you engage with your loved ones, but certainly how you recover and rehabilitate.”
Smith said he sometimes talks about unimaginable pain, but initially he was hesitant to open conversations about painkillers because of the perceived taboos around the issue.
He has reported widely how NFL players suffer from painkiller addiction, and Smith said he has noticed a teammate who has suffered from this in his career.
The issue of addiction continues after retirement, with the former star being ordered to resort to medication to paralyze pain during his play career.
Smith said that pain management is somewhat of an afterthought during his own recovery process, but he is pleased that professional sports are taking the issue seriously right now.
For example, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) has documents on its website that outlines the potential benefits and disadvantages of certain types of pain management.
Smith, 41, wants to use his platform to help him continue his conversation about painkillers after cutting off the cleats.
For example, in 2023, an estimated 8.9 million Americans over the age of 12 misused opioids that were misused in 2023, just as experts warn of the opioid epidemic.
“I think we all hear horror stories and know someone firsthand – I know – it deals with painkillers addiction and opiates and some of these side effects from options available in the past, and they scare you,” Smith said.
“I went home from the hospital with rescue medicine. My wife and I were terrified. I felt guilty and scared when I was feeling the pain so I asked for release.
“There are more options, there are stigmas and it was taboo to talk about this. These are difficult conversations, but there’s no need to.
Smith is currently facing a new campaign that seeks to provide individualized plans to people who are dealing with painkillers.
He said he hopes that it will give people more power to what his body needs, how he can safely get it, especially the pack of rookies heading into the NFL this season.
“The options weren’t great when I was dealing with the pain,” he said.
“I wish I could go back and come up with a plan, you know, a literal pain game plan, that would help me so much. So I want to encourage people to do these conversations.
“It doesn’t have to be a taboo anymore. There are so many options out there.”
