By Kim Constantinesco

Army Sergeant First Class Michael Smith laced up his football cleats extra tight last weekend. The above-the-elbow amputee stretched a little longer and caught a few more passes during warm ups. After all, his team was taking on NFL legends like Jeff Garcia and Charles Haley. This was his Super Bowl.

Smith, 36, turned out to be the star of the show. The wide receiver and safety took home MVP honors as his Wounded Warrior Amputee Football Team (WWAFT) beat a group of NFL alumni the day before Super Bowl 50.

The Wounded Warrior Amputee Football Team (which is not associated with the Wounded Warrior Project) is made up of servicemen and women who are now using a prosthetic device in their daily lives,. Each year, they battle an NFL alumni team for bragging rights, with proceeds benefiting the WWAFT and Disabled Veterans Initiatives.

Even though Smith played with just one arm, he scored three touchdowns (two as a receiver and one on a kick return) during the flag football game, which was held at the College of San Mateo in California.

“I don’t really chill,” Smith said. “I don’t know how to just play for pride, so every game I’ve played in, I’ve been the MVP.”

Speed Kills

Smith is the only active duty serviceman in U.S. military history to serve without an arm. He’s also on the Paralymic skeleton team as he works toward becoming the first above-the-elbow amputee skeleton racer to compete at the Olympic level.

The Texas native came back from three deployments to Bosnia, Korea, and Iraq unscathed, but it was a motorcycle accident in 2011 that left him with massive physical wounds. A woman who was texting and driving hit Smith on the highway, and launched him into oncoming traffic, where another vehicle struck his right arm.

Before the WWAFT came calling, Smith had not played competitive football since his freshman year of high school, when he had two arms.

Mike Smith with Snoop Dogg. Photo courtesy of Mike Smith

Mike Smith with Snoop Dogg. Photo courtesy of Mike Smith

“When I first started playing, it was a challenge to get out there and try to perform at the highest level,” Smith said. “For some reason, I catch onto things really fast, so after my first game, the NFL guys came over and said, ‘You’re really good. We didn’t realize you were that fast.'”

The game always draws a crowd. In addition to fans and local residents cheering from the stands, NFL alums like John Elway and Brett Favre, and celebrities like Snoop Dogg, John Legend, Jamie Foxx, and Kenny Mayne roam the field and the sidelines to offer encouragement. They want to get to know Smith and the rest of the WWAFT roster.

“The game is always fun, but when a whole bunch of different athletes and celebrities come out to support us, it makes you feel like they appreciate what we’ve done and what we do,” Smith said.

More Than A Game

Every person on WWAFT’s roster has his or her Super Bowl trip paid for by WWAFT. They get to lend their voices to Radio Row and attend the hottest parties in town in addition to playing in their game.

Most importantly, it’s a trip to reconnect and offer inspiration.

“What makes it so special for me is I know that I’m a different type of athlete,” Smith said. “For us, we’ve played in so many games together that it’s almost like a family reunion when we come together. Some of these guys live in areas where there’s no other amputees, so they look forward coming to the event and swapping stories.”

With Smith’s credentials and goals well known in the community, many come to him for advice.

“Anytime I get the opportunity to inspire, motivate, or encourage, I jump at it. The biggest thing for me is to pay it forward, no matter the injury,” Smith said.

Football season is over, but life goes on. Smith is getting ready to move from Arkansas to Washington D.C. to start a new job. He has the skeleton World Championships for the Paralympcs coming up. Then, it’s off to Oregon for a track camp, Orlando for the Invictus Games, and New York for the Warrior Games.

Scoring one-handed touchdowns? That’s just a hobby.