Yahoo Finance Alex Smith's old bulky, metal leg brace is now a mini Lombardi Trophy
Washington Football Team quarterback Alex Smith now has his own Lombardi Trophy, though he didn’t win a Super Bowl to get it.
Smith’s wife, Elizabeth, shared a photo on Instagram on Sunday of his old metal leg brace transformed into the iconic trophy — symbolizing how far he has come since his horrific leg injury in 2018.
The photo was posted hours ahead of Washington’s final regular-season game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, which the team must win in order to claim the NFC East and secure a postseason matchup against Tampa Bay.
“Waiting for this game and I’m a nervous wreck,” Elizabeth wrote, in part. “I look up at our bookshelves as a reminder of where we have been and the hard work to get to this moment. No matter the outcome, Alex has already won. He has beat the largest challenge life has thrown our way. I’m incredibly proud and will be cheering loud.”
Smith suffered a compound fracture in his leg two seasons ago, which required 17 total surgeries and a battle with a leg infection. It got so bad that amputation was an option for doctors at one point.
After rehab at a military facility and the massive bulky exterior metal brace, the 36-year-old returned to the field in October for his first game in 693 days.
Smith entered Sunday with seven games of action under his belt this season, and has thrown for 1,420 yards and four touchdowns. He suffered a calf injury against the San Francisco 49ers last month and missed the past two games before he was cleared to start against the Eagles.
Though he still has a long way to go in order to raise the real Lombardi Trophy, Smith’s personal version likely means a whole lot more to him and his family than the other one ever could.
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