Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is a professional American football starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). Smith was drafted out of the University of Utah 1st-overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco. He started his first game in Week 5 of his rookie season, replacing former starter Tim Rattay. Though he started a total of 7 games that season, he did not play well, throwing only 1 touchdown to 11 interceptions. In 2006 he was named the starting quarterback before the season and started all 16 games. In 2007 he started 7 games, but nagging shoulder injuries would keep him out for the rest, and he missed all of 2008 following shoulder surgery. He returned in 2009 and alternated as the starting quarterback with Shaun Hill. He went into 2010 as the team’s primary starting quarterback once more, but a new shoulder injury in week 7 would again keep him on the sideline for several games. In 2011 he was named the team’s starter and started every game, helping to lead the 49ers to a 13-3 record while setting personal single-season highs in virtually every relevant statistical category commonly cited for quarterbacks. On March 20, 2012, he signed a new 3-year contract with the 49ers worth a reported $24 million.
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