Former NFL cornerback and Wake Forest standout Alphonso Smith Jr. has died at the age of forty.
Sources confirmed that Smith died on Wednesday at a housing community in Florida, with investigators pointing to suicide. His tragic passing followed a harrowing, final message published on Facebook, in which he detailed a relentless battle with personal demons, referenced childhood trauma, and expressed anguish over not receiving adequate mental health support.
”Do not cry for me! I tried everything in my power to fight the demons behind the ones that someone put into ME!” Smith wrote in the widely circulated post, adding, “I needed help & did not get it!”
In the lengthy and remorseful note, Smith apologized to his children, family, and friends, reflecting heavily on a troubled state of mind before concluding with a final farewell.
A native of Pahokee, Florida, Smith carved out a stellar collegiate career at Wake Forest University, setting an Atlantic Coast Conference record with 21 career interceptions and earning consensus All-American honors in 2008. His collegiate achievements earned him an induction into the Wake Forest Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.
Selected 37th overall in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, Smith played four seasons in the league—including a stint with the Detroit Lions where he led the team with five interceptions in 2010. Across 42 professional appearances, he recorded 88 tackles and eight interceptions before wrapping up his career in 2012.
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