Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith's recovery continues to be an inspiring battle against all odds. Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Smith's wife shares birthday video of his incredible workout

By Blake Harper | Last updated 5/7/20

Since suffering a gruesome leg injury in 2018, Alex Smith has faced a long road to recovery. Along the way, he has always maintained that his ultimate goal is to play football again. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but Smith's wife Elizabeth shared a video showing just how far her husband has come for his 36th birthday and it's pretty inspiring to see the progress he's made.

“Happy Happy Birthday to this handsome, hard working man,” Elizabeth wrote on Instagram. “The last week we’ve been overwhelmed with love, support and sweet messages. We cannot thank you enough. #project11 was a look into what the last 18 months have been (mostly Alex refusing to give up). I am in awe of his perseverance everyday. He just keeps getting stronger and refuses to give up…Forever grateful.”

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Happy Happy Birthday to this handsome, hard working man❤️ The last week we’ve been overwhelmed with love,support and sweet messages. We cannot thank you enough. #project11 was a look into what the last 18 months have been (mostly Alex refusing to give up). I am in awe of his perseverance everyday. He just keeps getting stronger and refuses to give up... Forever grateful

A post shared by Elizabeth Smith (@lizbsmith11) on May 7, 2020 at 2:51am PDT

The video shows Smith with a leg brace going through a variety of drills that show off his arm strength and mobility. It's impressive to watch him effortlessly toss a ball perfectly into a receiver's hands but the most remarkable part has to be when Smith is doing cone drills, as many assumed he would never be able to demonstrate that level of agility again.

Smith was selected by the 49ers with the first pick in the 2006 draft and spent eight years in San Francisco before heading to Kansas City for five seasons and eventually ending up in Washington. In his first year for the Redskins, he almost lost his leg when he suffered a spiral compound fracture to his tibia and fibula.

The severity of the injury caused many people to assume that his playing days were behind him. And while he is still far removed from stepping back onto the field, the fact that he has even come this far to a return is pretty amazing to see.

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