Content warning: This article discusses suicide.
A former NFL player has left the world too soon.
Alphonso Smith Jr., who played for the Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos during his three-year professional football career, died by suicide Sept. 2, Florida authorities confirmed in a statement. He was 40.
“Just after 2:00 p.m., deputies responded to the 200 block of Shirly Drive, Pahokee, in reference to a suicide attempt,” the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement to E! News Sept. 3. “An adult male was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.”
Just before his death, Smith appeared to be struggling with his mental health, and shared a concerning message to his Facebook profile Sept. 2.
“Do not cry for me,” Smith wrote. “I tried everything in my power to fight the demons behind the ones that someone put into me.”
Addressing his children, siblings, mother and friends throughout the post, Smith concluded his troubling message with, “I am sorry.”
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Smith—who played in the NFL from 2009 to 2012—was a star cornerback at Wake Forest University from 2004 to 2008, and received an All-American athletic honor during his senior year. He was inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.
In the NFL, Smith recorded 88 tackles and eight interceptions across 42 games, playing one season with the Broncos and three for the Lions. Following his athletic career, he became a high school football coach, acting as head coach of his alma mater Pahokee Middle-Senior High School until he was dismissed in 2015, according toThe Palm Beach Post.
According to his social media profiles, Smith—who posted often on social media about fatherhood—attempted to pivot to content creation professionally, and was also working as a barber in his final years. However, he regularly held football skills seminars that he put on for free for young players in his community.
Just before he was drafted to the NFL, Smith shared why he chose to dedicate his life to the sport he loved so much.
“Why I love the game so much is the life skills it teach you,” Smith said in an interview with Draft Guys Dot Com in 2009. “This game teaches you perseverance, accountability, and responsibility. You learn to have relationships with guys from different cultures and different backgrounds.”
He mused, “Just, it’s fun, it’s a beautiful game and it’s the best sport in America.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/re
