Alex Smith Alexander D . " Alex " Smith ( born May 7 , 1984 ) is a professional American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He was the first overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft . Smith played college football for the Utah Utes . In 2004 , he was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and led the Utes to a Fiesta Bowl victory and a national top - five finish . He played for six different offensive coordinator s in his first six seasons in the NFL with San Francisco , and he struggled with injuries and consistency . In 2011 , Smith enjoyed his strongest statistical season of his career and led the 49ers to the NFC West division title . In middle of the 2012 season , Smith sustained a concussion and was replaced by Colin Kaepernick . Kaepernick started the remainder of the season ' s games , despite Smith being subsequently medically cleared to play . Smith was traded to Kansas City in 2013 . Early life . Born in Seattle , Smith grew up in La Mesa , California . His father , Douglas D . Smith , was the Executive Director at the high school that Alex attended , Helix Charter High School , until June 30 , 2010 . As a starter at Helix during his junior and senior years Smith led his team to a record of 25 - 1 , including two San Diego CIF section championships . He was named to the first - team all - conference and all - county squads in the San Diego CIF system . Smith also earned the conference offensive player of the year twice , and twice won the team MVP for Helix . During his time at Helix , Smith set a school record by throwing for six touchdowns in one game , and recorded the second - highest completion percentage in San Diego CIF history . While at Helix , he played with 2005 Heisman Trophy winner ( since vacated ) Reggie Bush . Smith and Bush were later finalists for the 2004 Heisman , making it the first time a high school had two finalists at the same ceremony . Smith was president of his senior class in high school , and was also an excellent student who graduated with a 4 . 4 GPA one semester early by earning college credits through a program with San Diego State University and a dozen Advanced Placement tests . College career . Smith attended the University of Utah and played for the Utah Utes , wearing number 11 . He finished fourth in voting for the 2004 Heisman Trophy and was selected as the 2004 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year . Smith posted a 21 – 1 record as a starter in college , while leading a high - powered spread offense under head coach Urban Meyer . He led the Utes to victories in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl and the 2003 Liberty Bowl . Smith earned a bachelor ' s degree in economics in two years with a 3 . 74 GPA , having matriculated with 64 credit hours , and began work on a master ' s degree in the field before being drafted . NFL career . NFL Draft . At the NFL combine , Smith recorded a 4 . 7 time in the 40 - yard dash , and had a 32 - inch vertical leap . He also earned a score of 40 out of 50 on the Wonderlic exam . The San Francisco 49ers , who held the first overall pick , had hired a head coach with a strong personality in Mike Nolan . Nolan thought Smith to be cerebral , introspective , and non - confrontational . Nolan also evaluated Aaron Rodgers but did not believe that Rodgers ' attitude could co - exist with him . Smith was the first overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft , selected by the San Francisco 49ers . In July 2005 , Smith agreed to a six - year , $ 49 . 5 million contract with the 49ers ; the contract included $ 24 million in guaranteed money . San Francisco 49ers . 2005 season . Dealing with an injury and being taken in and out of the lineup by then - head coach Mike Nolan , Smith played in nine games in his rookie season , recording just one touchdown pass , against the Houston Texans , while throwing 11 interceptions . 2006 season . After the challenges faced by his rookie campaign , Smith went into the 2006 season with a new offensive coordinator ( Norv Turner ) and an improved set of offensive weapons around him . The 49ers used their top draft choice on Vernon Davis , a tight end from Maryland . They also upgraded their offensive backfield , trading underachieving running back Kevan Barlow to the Jets , making Frank Gore the feature back . Smith also spent the off - season working daily with his new coordinator , wide receivers and tight end , while working to improve his technique and add bulk . The improved offensive cast clearly helped Smith develop in his second year , especially early . Smith ' s first three games of the season saw him throw three touchdowns , no interceptions , and amass 814 yards . After struggling in Kansas City , he then threw for three touchdowns against the Oakland Raiders , setting a career high . However , the next five games saw Smith resume his growing pains , averaging only 153 yards per game while throwing only six touchdowns and nine interceptions . Despite his difficulty , he led the 49ers on a three - game winning streak in November . Smith met Joe Montana for the first time on November 5 , 2006 , during a game against the Vikings . The 49ers wore the throwback jerseys of the 1989 team which Joe Montana and teammates wore . The 49ers went on to win 9 - 3 , upsetting the Minnesota Vikings . In need of a statement game , the 49ers traveled to Seattle for a Thursday Night Football game against their division rivals . During the broadcast on NFL Network , Cris Collinsworth noted that if he were starting an NFL franchise , he would have taken the Broncos rookie quarterback Jay Cutler before Alex Smith and fellow rookies Matt Leinart and Vince Young - and that Smith was not even close to the others . Going into the 4th quarter , the 49ers were trailing the Seahawks 7 - 3 , and pulling out a win looked unlikely . Smith however performed brilliantly in the fourth quarter , and drove the 49ers on a long touchdown drive down the field early , taking a narrow 10 - 7 lead . Late in the quarter , with the same score , Smith struck again - shaking off an almost certain sack , rolling to the left and completing a pass to Frank Gore for a touchdown to give the 49ers a 10 point lead . On the next drive , Smith cemented the victory by leading yet another touchdown drive , and rushing for a touchdown on a naked bootleg . Collinsworth had earlier in the game observed that " " Alex Smith is the best I ' ve ever seen him . That drive is the best I saw , " " and on seeing his touchdown run , commented " " What a second - half he has had ! " " After losing to the Cardinals the following week , the 49ers final game of the 2006 season was against a Denver Broncos team looking for a playoff berth . In a major upset , the 49ers defeated the Broncos and knocked them out of the playoffs . During the game at INVESCO Field , Smith threw for 194 yards and a touchdown , leading the team to a come from behind victory for the second time in three weeks . Overall , Smith improved in his second year by throwing as many touchdowns as interceptions . He threw for 16 TDs , 16 interceptions , 2 , 890 yards and a 74 . 8 quarterback rating , all improvements over his rookie year . Alex also became the first 49ers quarterback in club history to take every snap from center over the course of a season in 2006 . 2007 season . Smith entered the 2007 season learning under a third offensive coordinator in three seasons . Norv Turner was hired as the head coach by the San Diego Chargers . Jim Hostler replaced Turner . Hostler ' s system involved a mixture of the offensive system installed by Turner with elements of the West Coast offense installed by Mike McCarthy for the 2005 season . During the offseason , the 49ers added wide receiver s Darrell Jackson , Ashley Lelie , and rookie Jason Hill as new offensive targets for Smith . In the season opener on Monday Night Football against the Arizona Cardinals , Smith led the 49ers to a 20 - 17 win in a two - minute comeback . While down 17 - 13 with less than two - minutes left , Smith drove down the field , highlighted by a 25 - yard scramble . After the scramble , he threw a 22 yard pass to Arnaz Battle that was fumbled on the one - yard line , but recovered by a 49er so the ball was placed back on the one - yard line with 26 seconds left . The following play Battle ran an end around for the game - winning touchdown . Smith finished the game 15 for 31 with 126 yards and two rushes for 37 yards . On September 30 in the first quarter of a game against the Seattle Seahawks , Smith injured his right shoulder after getting sacked by Seahawks defensive tackle Rocky Bernard . Smith suffered a grade - three separation and the initial diagnosis was that surgery would not be required . Smith missed the next three games before returning to the 49ers ' starting lineup on Sunday , October 28 , 2007 . The 49ers did not win a game again until November 25 . Among all NFL quarterbacks who qualify for league statistics , only the Jets ' Kellen Clemens had a poorer passer rating than Smith ( 57 . 2 ) , Smith completed under 50 % of his passes , far below the league average of 60 % . Smith was at odds with 49ers head coach Mike Nolan over the severity of his injury . Nolan publicly inferred that Smith was not fighting through the injury , while Smith felt that the injury still affected his ability to throw accurately , an account that was supported by players from the Seahawks . Nolan decided to rest Smith following a loss in that game to the Seahawks on November 12 and start Trent Dilfer to allow Smith ' s shoulder to recover . Following the decision , orthopedic surgeon James Andrews said that upon further examination the shoulder did not heal as significantly as Andrews thought it would , and on December 11 , 2007 , Smith was placed on injured reserve to undergo surgery on the shoulder , ending his season . 2008 season . Smith entered training camp competing for the starting quarterback job with Shaun Hill , who won both of the games he started in 2007 , before suffering a back injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , and journeyman J . T . O ' Sullivan . Smith would be learning under a fourth different offensive coordinator in four seasons ; Jim Hostler was fired and replaced by former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator and St . Louis Rams offensive coordinator / head coach Mike Martz . Unlike the previous three seasons , where offensive continuity was somewhat maintained , Martz ' s system was completely different . Smith was announced as the second - string quarterback for the 49ers ' initial preseason game against the Oakland Raiders on August 8 , behind O ' Sullivan , who was elevated to starting quarterback , partly due to his familiarity with Martz ' s offense when he was a member of the Detroit Lions . Smith threw five of nine for 51 yards . He again started as the second - string quarterback in an August 16 preseason game against the Green Bay Packers , which the 49ers won 34 - 6 . O ' Sullivan was named the starting quarterback against the Chicago Bears on August 21 in the third preseason game , where he performed extremely well , throwing 7 of 8 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown . Smith threw 6 of 17 for 83 yards and a touchdown . On September 10 , the 49ers placed Smith on injured reserve after Dr . James Andrews confirmed the team ' s diagnosis of a broken bone in his shoulder , believed to have been caused by a wire left in his shoulder from the previous surgery , which had sawed through the bone . Regardless , the 49ers ' general manager , Scot McCloughan , said that the 49ers expected to release Smith before the 2009 season , when they would owe him a salary of $ 9 , 625 , 000 . After Nolan was fired on October 20 , 2008 , the 49ers expressed interest in having Smith remain for the 2009 season if he was willing to renegotiate his contract . On March 10 , 2009 , the 49ers announced that his contract had been successfully restructured and that he would stay with the team . He took a considerable paycut to remain with the 49ers , with whom he would be under contract for the next two years . Smith was to make $ 4 million a season in 2009 and 2010 , in addition to base salaries that weren ' t immediately made known . In his previous contract , he was scheduled to make $ 24 . 6 million in the final two years . 2009 season . After the pay - cut , Smith said that he was ready to compete for the starting quarterback spot , primarily against Shaun Hill . Mike Singletary became the head coach after a successful term as the interim head coach in 2008 , and Martz was fired as offensive coordinator due to the huge differences in offensive philosophies between himself and Singletary . Jimmy Raye II was hired to replace him , marking Smith ' s fifth different offensive coordinator in five seasons . During the offseason , the 49ers drafted Michael Crabtree to be the featured receiver that Smith had been lacking throughout his NFL career . After restructuring his contract with San Francisco , Smith lost the battle for the starting quarterback position to Shaun Hill . However , in a Week 7 game against the Houston Texans , Smith replaced Hill in the third quarter , after Hill had performed poorly and the Niners faced a 21 - 0 first half deficit . Smith led the team back with three touchdown passes , all to TE Vernon Davis , but fell short of victory , 24 - 21 . Singletary named Smith as the 49ers ' starting quarterback the next day at his weekly press conference on October 26 . After his return as the 49ers ' starting quarterback , Smith displayed signs of progress , despite the team ' s 3 - 4 record in his first seven starts . He led the 49ers to a Week 12 victory , 20 - 3 , against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars , throwing for 232 yards with two touchdown passes while posting a 96 . 8 passer rating . In a Week 13 match - up against the NFC West division rival Seattle Seahawks , he recorded the first 300 - yard passing game of his career , completing 27 of 45 throws with two touchdown passes . He also worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom , covering Super Bowl XLIV . 2010 season . Smith entered the 2010 season as the starting quarterback . For the first time in his career , he returned under the same offensive coordinator from the previous season , as Raye was retained . However , continuity in a poor system resulted in the team starting 0 - 5 , and on September 27 , Raye was fired and replaced by quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson . Under Johnson , Smith was expected to run a variation of the spread offense that he ran in college . The 49ers continued to build their team having now drafted Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati with their two first round picks to provide more protection . On September 8 , Coach Singletary announced that Smith was named one of the team ' s captains . In week 5 , Smith was booed at home and the crowd chanted for his backup , David Carr , before leading the 49ers to two scoring drives to close within three points . However , he was hit as he threw on the third drive attempt , resulting in an interception and a 24 – 27 loss , dropping the 49ers to 0 – 5 . Smith once again suffered an injured shoulder in the 49ers week 7 game against the Carolina Panthers and was not available to play week 8 against the Denver Broncos in London . He was replaced by Troy Smith , who had 14 games of experience in the NFL before joining the 49ers organization just before the start of the regular season . Troy Smith took Smith ' s position after winning 2 straight victories against the St . Louis Rams and the Denver Broncos . However , following a loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 13 that left the 49ers with a 4 - 8 record , Troy Smith was demoted to backup in favor of Alex Smith . The top pick of the 2005 draft would start against Seattle in Week 14 in a game the 49ers needed to win to stay in contention in the NFC West . Smith acknowledged that his performances needed to be more consistent . On December 12 , 2010 the 49ers played the Seahawks in San Francisco . Smith was booed by the Candlestick crowd after the first two plays . However , the boos turned to cheers after Smith helped lead the 49ers to a 40 - 21 victory over a division rival . The win moved the 49ers one game behind the division leaders ( Rams and Seahawks ) with three games left to play . However , the 49ers struggled the following Thursday night against the San Diego Chargers and Troy Smith started the following game against the Rams . Troy Smith struggled in the loss to the Rams and Alex relieved Troy Smith in that game . After the game , Singletary was fired and he finished the season starting against the Cardinals . The 49ers finished the season 6 - 10 and Smith became a free agent after the season . After his firing , Singletary said , " You gotta have a quarterback . " Smith had won just 19 games in 50 career starts through 2010 . 2011 season . The 49ers hired Jim Harbaugh as the new head coach , and Greg Roman replaced Johnson as the new offensive coordinator . Harbaugh , a former quarterback , was the best teacher the 49ers had since Norv Turner in Smith ' s second season . Harbaugh made it known to Smith that he was welcomed back on the team . Smith ' s family wanted him to leave San Francisco . Although he was unsigned , Smith organized the players ' workouts during the 2011 NFL lockout and helped to install Harbaugh ' s new offense . After the lockout ended , Smith signed a one - year $ 5 million contract with the 49ers . Smith was named the starting quarterback heading into the regular season , and Harbaugh believed Smith could succeed in the coach ' s West Coast offense . During the season , Smith ' s game showed marked improvement , especially in his leadership and intangibles . While he did not put up big numbers like Aaron Rodgers , Drew Brees , Matthew Stafford and Eli Manning did that year , he helped the 49ers win games through efficient play , minimizing mistakes and controlling the clock . In Philadelphia in week 4 , Smith rallied the team from a 23 - 3 second - half deficit to win 24 - 23 , completing 9 of 9 passes for 179 yards and 2 touchdowns in the third quarter alone . Two weeks later Smith led his third come - from - behind road victory of the year with a six - yard fourth and goal touchdown pass to tight end Delanie Walker , beating the Lions in Detroit 25 - 19 . In a week 10 matchup against the New York Giants , he completed 19 out of 30 passes for 242 yards . The Giants shut down the 49ers ' run game ( Frank Gore was held to zero yards on six carries before leaving the game in the second half ) and Smith was instrumental in the 27 - 20 victory . By the time the 2011 season was finished , Smith had helped lead the 49ers to a 13 - 3 record in the regular season , including five come - from - behind victories in which four were on the road , and the 49ers earned a first - round bye in the playoffs . After 3 head coaches , 7 offensive coordinators , and 17 different starting wide receivers in the span of 7 seasons with the 49ers , Smith would finally make his first playoff appearance . While the 49ers finished with their most wins since 1997 , they did it while ranked 29th of 32 teams in the NFL in total passing yardage for 2011 ( including yardage lost from sacks ) , and Smith was often cynically referred to as a " game manager " . In this manner , the " New York Times " wrote that Smith was " a steady , if unspectacular , player surrounded by a solid team " in 2011 , whose career year " underscored how much he struggled previously . " Subjective assessments aside , Smith had his best year in 2011 , both statistically and in winning games . It was his first season with over 3 , 000 yards passing , and he set personal single - season highs in virtually every relevant statistical category commonly cited for quarterbacks : in pass attempt s with 445 , in completions with 273 , in completion percentage with 61 . 3 percent , in passing yards with 3 , 144 , in average per pass with 7 . 1 yards per attempt , in overall passer rating with 90 . 7 , in rushing attempt s with 52 , in rushing yards with 179 , and in total touchdown s scored with 19 ( 17 passing & 2 rushing ) , all while being sacked a league - high 44 times . He also threw a league - low 5 interception s in 2011 , breaking a 49ers franchise record , and setting yet another personal single - season best in fewest passes intercepted per attempt with a 1 . 123 percent interception rate , likewise the lowest percentage in the league that year . In the NFC Divisional round of the playoffs , Smith led the 49ers to a win over the New Orleans Saints , with a final score of 36 - 32 . Smith threw for 299 yards , three touchdown passes with no interceptions while rushing for an additional touchdown . Smith led touchdown drives of 80 and 85 yards in the final 4 : 02 . He scored on a 28 - yard touchdown run , and he threw a game - winning 14 - yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis with nine seconds remaining , eschewing a more conservative open receiver that would have settled for a field goal and a tie . Analyst Ron Jaworski said " Alex Smith won the game , not Alex Smith by not making mistakes . His performance won the game for them . " Smith also became the first quarterback in NFL playoff history to lead two go - ahead touchdowns in the final 3 minutes of a game . The 49ers lost 20 – 17 in overtime to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game . Smith completed 12 of 26 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns , but the team turned the ball over twice on special teams . Smith was chosen by teammates as winner of the Ed Block Courage Award , annually awarded to the player that exemplifies a commitment to sportsmanship and courage . 2012 season . Smith became a free agent following the 2011 season . The 49ers were reported to be interested in signing Peyton Manning , who had just been released by the rebuilding Indianapolis Colts , leading Smith to visit the Miami Dolphins , reportedly with the intent to sign with the Dolphins if the 49ers signed Manning . Shortly after Manning made the decision to join the Denver Broncos , Smith signed a three - year contract worth $ 24 million to remain with the 49ers . During the offseason , the 49ers added wide receivers Randy Moss and Mario Manningham in free agency , and A . J . Jenkins in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft to improve a passing game that lacked production from the receivers the previous season . Smith began the 2012 season as the 49ers ' starting quarterback . In the first game of the season , Smith led the 49ers to a 30 - 22 win over the Green Bay Packers in a highly anticipated opener . In week 2 , Smith helped the 49ers win over the Detroit Lions 27 - 19 , in what was referred to by the media as the " Handshake Bowl , " referencing the previous 2011 encounter between the two teams . Smith completed 18 - of - 19 passes for 232 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in a 24 – 3 Monday night win over Arizona . San Francisco was 6 – 2 . In the following game against St . Louis , Smith suffered a concussion in the second quarter , throwing a touchdown with blurred vision before exiting the game . He was replaced by Colin Kaepernick , and the game ended in a 24 – 24 tie . Smith missed the following game , and Kaepernick was 16 for 23 for 243 yards with two touchdowns in a 32 – 7 win over Chicago . Harbaugh was impressed with Kaepernick , and said " we have two quarterbacks that have a hot hand " while dismissing any rule that a player should not lose their starting job due to an injury . A quarterback controversy began . Smith was ranked third in the NFL in passer rating ( 104 . 1 ) , led the league in completion percentage ( 70 % ) , and had been 19 – 5 – 1 as a starter under Harbaugh , while Kaepernick was considered more dynamic with his scrambling ability and arm strength . Smith was medically cleared to play the day before the following game , but Harbaugh chose not to rush him back and again started Kaepernick , who threw and ran for a touchdown in a 31 – 21 win over New Orleans . The following week , Harbaugh announced that Kaepernick would start for the 8 – 2 – 1 49ers , while also stating that the assignment was week - to - week and not necessarily permanent . However , Kaepernick remained the starter as the 49ers again qualified for the playoffs . Harbaugh has stated that Smith had been more of a coach to Kaepernick later into the 2012 season than even he was . Kansas City Chiefs . 2013 season . On February 27 , 2013 , the 49ers agreed to trade Smith to the Kansas City Chiefs . The deal became official at the beginning of the new league year on March 12 . Personal life . Smith has a brother , Josh , and two sisters , Abbey and MacKenzie . One of Smith ' s great - grandfathers was an Austrian immigrant of Serbian descent who immigrated to the U . S . from the Austro - Hungarian Empire when he was 12 years old . To honor him , Smith , his brother , and his father are each tattooed with four firesteels , the traditional Serbian cross . His sisters have said they will do the same . Smith ' s uncle , John L . Smith , is a college football head coach , and his cousin , Chris Shelton , is a Major League Baseball player . Smith married former Oakland Raiders cheerleader Elizabeth Barry in 2009 . In May 2011 , the couple had their first child , a son named Hudson . Charity Work . In 2007 , Smith started the Alex Smith Foundation and the Alex Smith Guardian Scholars Program , which helps send foster teens to college . He started the program with $ 500 , 000 , and continues to personally fund the majority of the charity with his own money . The Boston Globe held up Smith ' s foundation as a model charity that properly allocated its funding , noting that it " raised $ 839 , 244 between 2008 and 2010 and spent 91 percent of the funds on scholarships and grants " .