But apparently not every member of the organization was fully on board with Smith’s comeback attempt.
MORE: Ryan Fitzpatrick sent “worst text” to Smith after QB’s leg injury
In a new feature story from Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bishop, Smith says that he found Washington Football Team coaches “patronizing” and believed they only wanted a “cute story.” Smith’s father, Doug, went so far as to claim the team “sabotaged” his son’s return.
From Bishop:
Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera told Bishop that he was “scared to death” about putting Smith on the field, but it was never the coaching staff’s intention to “patronize” him.
“Are you sure you’re clearing him?” the coaches would ask. West would try and explain. The short answer: Yes. The disclaimer: She would assess his leg based on her informed medical opinion. “I got very little support,” she says. “He almost died. He almost lost his leg. Why would he want to?” Reasonable questions. “That’s not your decision,” West told them.
“At the end of the day, I commend Alex because he proved everyone wrong and exceeded any reasonable expectations that anyone had set for him,” Rivera said. “He not only made it back onto the field but led us to the playoffs. It was a truly remarkable feat.”
Smith added that the alleged treatment “pissed me off,” and his wife, Elizabeth, felt that he may have used it as extra motivation to not only get clearance to play, but also to regain the starting QB job. In eight games last season (six starts), Smith totaled 1,582 yards, six touchdowns and eight interceptions on his way to earning the Comeback Player of the Year award.
