Nationwide — Former NFL Player Alphonso Smith Jr., a former Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions cornerback and Wake Forest standout, has died at 40. The former football player reportedly died by suicide Wednesday at a housing community in Florida. News of his death came after Smith shared what would become his final Facebook post. The message offered a glimpse into the emotional struggles he had been facing and included several apologies to people he believed he had hurt. He said he had tried to fight the “demons” he was dealing with but felt that he had not received the help he needed.
“Do not cry for me! I tried everything in my power to fight the demons behind the ones that someone put into ME! I did not want to be that WAY! I know I have disappointed so many folks. This is a DEMON in me! But not only me! It’s EVERYONE! I have HURT so many! I needed help & did not get it!” Smith wrote, according to TMZ.
He continued apologizing throughout the post and called himself a “coward.” Smith also referred to abuse he said he suffered at the hands of an older woman when he was a young boy. He ended the post with another apology, writing, “I am SORRY! THIS IS IT!”
Long before his death, Smith had established himself as a standout defensive player at Wake Forest. He played for the school from 2004 to 2008 and earned All-American honors during his final season. His college career later earned him recognition from the school, which inducted him into the Wake Forest Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.
His success at Wake Forest helped lead to his selection in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. The Denver Broncos drafted Smith, but his time with the team lasted only one season. In 2010, Denver traded him to the Detroit Lions, where he played for three seasons. Smith finished his NFL career after the 2012 season. He appeared in 42 games and recorded 88 tackles and eight interceptions.