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Sportshour: The NFL’s miracle man: Alex Smith on overcoming life-threatening injury and his against-all-odds comeback

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The NFL’s miracle man: Alex Smith on overcoming life-threatening injury and his against-all-odds comeback

01/05/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - Sportshour, The NFL’s miracle man: Alex Smith on overcoming life-threatening injury and his against-all-odds comeback

Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith discusses his recovery from a near-fatal injury.

Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith discusses his recovery from what turned out to be a near-fatal injury and playing sport again.

In the week the NFL draft takes place, former number one pick Alex Smith joins us to discuss how he overcame a life-threatening injury and two years out to end the 2020 season voted as “comeback player of the year”. In 2018 Smith suffered a serious leg injury during a game against the Houston Texans and following corrective surgery, infection was discovered. The focus then switched from saving his leg, to saving his life. Doctors managed to save both and what followed was two years of surgeries, gruelling rehab and question marks over whether he would ever play the sport again. He returned for the 2020 season and helped the Washington Football Team reach the play-offs before announcing his retirement. Smith talks us through the days his life was in danger, why he made a comeback and his plans for the future.
 
Kei Kato joins us after her rabbit went viral at a San Francisco Giants baseball game. Kato uses Alex the rabbit as a therapy pet after her business was forced to close due to the covid pandemic. Alex was a big hit at the baseball and even reduced one fan to tears of joy.
 
Swiss-American BMX freestyle rider Nikita Ducarroz explains how talking openly about her anxiety has helped her. Ducarroz – who is set to compete for Switzerland at the Tokyo Olympics – has struggled with anxiety since she was in Primary School and says finding her bike helped set her free. She’s now involved in helping other extreme sport athletes open up about their issues.
 
Former India cricketer Snehal Pradhan joins us live from Pune with the latest from the Indian Premier League after a number of Australian players left the tournament due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
 
In Sporting Witness – we tell the story of American college wrestler, Anthony Robles whose success was all the more remarkable because he achieved it with only one leg.
 
The BBC’s Snooker reporter Jamie Broughton joins us live with the latest from the World Championship and the BBC’s John Southall joins us live from Selhurst Park as Manchester City look to take another step towards the Premier League title against Crystal Palace.

Photo: Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith scrambles during his comeback game against the Los Angeles Rams. (Credit: Getty Images)

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