CNN
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No one knows the dangers of playing in the NFL more than former quarterback Alex Smith.
In 2018, while playing for the Washington Commanders, the veteran signal-caller suffered a gruesome leg injury which would turn his entire life upside down.
The severity of the injury was such that he underwent multiple surgeries to treat a spiral and compound fracture to his right tibia and fibula. But then came the real battle.
Smith subsequently contracted sepsis – a life-threatening response by the body to infection that can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death – and nearly had to have his leg amputated.
Incredibly, after 21 months out of the sport, he returned to practice in 2020 to complete a remarkable comeback – a story that many NFL fans are aware of.
But perhaps not as many people understand just how much pain Smith was in during his recovery.
On leaving the hospital to continue his rehabilitation at home, Smith said he and his wife were overwhelmed with the realization that they would have to handle his pain management themselves.
They were handed a large folder of instructions and rescue medication if they were to administer his pain medication incorrectly.
“It’s the running joke in the NFL that the injury rate is 100%,” Smith told CNN Sports. “It is going to happen to all of us and it’s a huge part of any recovery process, having to deal with the pain.
“It affects how you engage with the world in every way, right? Like it’s how you go to sleep at night and how you get out of bed in the morning, how you engage with your loved ones, but certainly how you take on your recovery and your rehab.”
Smith talks about the unimaginable pain he was in at times but said he was initially hesitant to have open conversations about pain medication due to a perceived taboo around the issue.
It’s widely reported how NFL players have and continue to struggle with painkiller addiction and Smith said he was aware of teammates suffering from this during his career.
The problem of addiction continues into retirement, with former stars accostumed to relying on medication to numb the pain during their playing careers.
Smith said that pain management was somewhat of an afterthought during his own recovery process but he’s been happy to see how professional sports is now taking the issue seriously.
The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), for example, now has a document on its website which outlines the possible benefits and drawbacks of certain types of pain management.
Opioid epidemic
Having hung up his cleats, the 41-year-old Smith now wants to use his platform to help continue the conversation about pain medication, an issue that filters out of sport and into wider society.
For example, an estimated 8.9 million Americans aged 12 and older misused opioids in 2023 as experts warn of an opioid epidemic.
“I think we’ve all heard the horror stories or know someone first hand – I know I do – that’s dealt with painkiller addiction and opiates and some of these side effects from the options that have been available in the past, and they scare you to death,” Smith said.
“I went home from the hospital with rescue medication, and my wife and I were terrified. I felt guilty when I was in pain, asking for release because I was scared. And again, it just doesn’t have to be that way anymore.
“There are more options out there available. There has been a stigma and it has been taboo to talk about this. These are difficult conversations to have, but it doesn’t need to be that way, and it shouldn’t.”
Getting rid of stigma
Smith is now fronting a new campaign which looks to provide individual plans for people dealing with pain medication.
He said he hopes it will give people more power to understand what their bodies need and how they are able to safely get it – especially the swathe of rookies who are heading into the NFL this season.
“When I was dealing with pain, options weren’t great,” he said.
“I wish I could go back and come up with a plan, you know, a literal pain game plan, it would help me so much. So I want to encourage people to have these conversations, empowering people, whether it’s expected or unexpected dealing with pain, to proactively come up with a personalized pain game plan.
“It doesn’t have to be taboo anymore. There are so many options out there.”