ESPN set to air E60 document on Alex Smith’s recovery from a gruesome leg injury

Alex Smith spent eight years in San Francisco. Whenever a player spends that amount of time with one franchise, fans will naturally gravitate toward that player. When it’s a quarterback, the stakes are higher. Smith will likely always have a small piece of 49ers’ fans hearts.

On Friday, May 1, at 4:30 p.m. PT, ESPN will air a special edition of E60 called “Project 11.” The program will document Smith’s riveting story from lightly recruited high school quarterback to battle-tested former No. 1 draft pick fighting his way back from an injury that almost cost him everything.

Here is ESPN’s press release:

“No NFL player has ever been through what Alex Smith has,” said Andy Tennant, E60 executive producer. “He’s normally a very private person but he wanted to document his road to recovery as well and as detailed as possible, with the hope that future players could use it as a road map.

“The access that he and his family granted to E60 is incredible and viewers will see a story of strength, dedication and perseverance.”

After a 6-3 start to their 2018 season, everything seemed to be going according to plan for the Redskins and Smith, who had joined the team after previous stints in San Francisco and Kansas City. But then came the Nov. 18 game against the Houston Texans – Smith was sacked and fell to the ground with a major injury to his right leg.

ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell spent more than a year documenting Smith’s journey for E60, with rare and exclusive access to Smith, his family and his doctors, who deemed the injury “warlike.” Viewers will see:

• Detailed explanation of the nature of Smith’s injury and why it was so serious.
• Never before seen, sometimes graphic, images, provided by Smith and his family, of setbacks and progress.
• Interviews with physicians who performed the 17 surgeries Smith has endured since the injury and who treated him throughout the process.
• Scenes from Smith’s rehabilitation alongside U.S. military veterans who were injured in combat.

The program also includes new interviews with Urban Meyer, who coached Smith at the University of Utah; Jim Harbaugh and Mike McCarthy, who coached him at the 49ers; and Andy Reid and Matt Nagy, his coaches at the Chiefs.

Also interviewed are Smith’s former 49ers teammate Vernon Davis; former Redskins teammate Adrian Peterson; and JJ Watt of the Texans, who made the fateful tackle on Smith.

The one-hour program was produced by Daniel Lindbergh from more than 50 hours of original video shot as well as more than 40 hours of archival material that was pulled and screened. The E60 crew spent 14 days shooting with Smith and 27 total shooting days over more than a year.