WASHINGTON — Sunday was a very good day for Washington quarterback Alex Smith.
The Washington Football Team player was activated off the physically unable to perform list and practiced for the first time this weekend, taking snaps and throwing passes to his teammates.
The latest milestone for Smith comes 20 months after he suffered a horrific leg injury that almost cost him his life and required 17 surgeries to make it back to the sport he loves.
Wearing his traditional number 11 jersey, Smith looked both fluid and mobile in the pocket. Teams are not practicing in pads yet in the National Football League, but its a start!
Smith's wife, Elizabeth, tweeted encouragement for what her husband accomplished:
"Every obstacle that has been placed in front of him has been shattered. This is his journey and it's bigger than football."
It is not certain what Smith's chances of making Washington's roster or even playing, will be. But the experienced veteran will have competition in Dewayne Haskins and Kyle Allen.
Over the summer, an ESPN series by E60 called Project 11 aired. It shared the journey that Smith took to get back to the NFL as a player once more, and how severe the injury to his leg was.
During the series, Smith, his wife and doctor talk about how close his leg injury came to taking his life, and that amputation was a solution that doctors suggested during the worst of the infection his leg was suffering from.