Former NFL player Alphonso Smith Jr. has passed away after posting a concerning message on social media about battling inner demons.
Former Wake Forest and Detroit Lions cornerback Alphonso Smith Jr. reportedly passed away on September 2, 2026. According to TMZ, the former NFL player posted a concerning message on Facebook before taking his own life. In the post, Alphonso Smith Jr. talked about fighting “demons” and disappointing his friends and family. Authorities found him on Wednesday, September 2, in a housing community in Florida and declared the cause of death to be suicide. He was 40.
The NFL cornerback’s Facebook post has led to an outpouring of grief from the NFL community. It also raised concerns about his mental health, as Alphonso Smith Jr. emphasized his own failings to counter the “demons,” suggesting he was suffering before his death. In the post, he wrote:
“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! I am so sorry!”
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“I Am the WORST”: Alphonso Smith Jr.’s Facebook Post Before Suicide Shows Signs of Emotional Distress Stemming From Childhood Trauma
In his last post on Facebook before passing away, Alphonso Smith Jr. wrote about having a troubled childhood. The former NFL player did not explicitly say what he went through, but referenced actions of an “older lady”. Smith Jr. wrote:
“I am A COWARD! A HUGE COWARD! I am so sorry… To my kids, daddy is SO SORRY! To my friends, I love you all, but your boy was f**ked up! To my family, BABY, my MOM, my siblings, things happened to your boy, your brother while I was little that an older lady did onto me. As a result guys, I did the same onto others!”
The cornerback emphasized that he needed help but did not get it, and asked for forgiveness from loved ones:
“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! I am so sorry!”
He concluded his Facebook post by saying:
“I am the WORST & I pray my soul rest in heaven for my heart is pure, but my BRAIN & experience is MESSED UP !! Once again to ALLLLLL! I am SORRY! THIS IS IT!”
Alphonso Smith Jr. is in the athletic hall of fame at Wake Forest, which he attended between 2004 and 2008. Widely considered one of the best players at the university, he went on to join the Denver Broncos in 2009 but was traded to the Detroit Lions. He retired from the NFL in 2012, recording 88 tackles and 8 interceptions.
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