... and said "No way". Now, things are different.

Alex Smith, the former Utah Utes quarterback, has taken a while to get his legs in the NFL. Throughout the numerous struggling seasons that resulted in average and below .500 records, Smith has come through the other side a better man.

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Well, this is one of those stories.

Stats wise, Smith wasn't living up to expectations. Taken as the first overall pick in the 2005 draft and signed to a $49.5 million contract, Smith's football skills vanished almost as quickly as he received his first paycheck.

In his rookie season with the 49ers, Smith threw for 165 passes, but only completed 84 of them. One touchdown on the season capped off a ...

Read Complete Article at Bleacher Report - NFL