This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Former NFL cornerback Alphonso Smith Jr. was found dead in a Florida community on Wednesday mere hours after he is believed to have authored a self-loathing and lamentable post on social media that suggested he was a victim of child abuse and demonic possession.
The last line of the troubling post warned: “This is it.”
A family member who did not wish to be publicly identified confirmed to OutKick that Smith, 40, is dead. The cause of death has not been confirmed. TMZ reported that Smith died by suicide, but OutKick could not independently verify the report.
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Whatever the manner in which Smith died, it is clear his final Facebook post was a cry requiring help.
“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.
“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! I am a piece of sh*t! It’s a lot of you that are! I am A COWARD! A HUGE COWARD!
“I am so sorry…”
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Part of Smith’s note addresses his friends and family, including his children, in what appears to be something of a goodbye.
“To my kids, daddy is SO SORRY!” he posted.
“To my friends, I love you all, but your boy was f*cked 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!
“Please forgive me!”
“Please pray over your families! PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL I’ve affected!”
Smith obviously did a lot of self-reflection before writing this note and clearly found himself lacking. What exactly he was referring to remains unclear.
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“I am the WORST & I pray my soul rest in heaven for my heart is pure, but my BRAIN & experience is MESSED UP!!” Smith wrote.
“Once again to ALLLLLL! I am SORRY! THIS IS IT!”
The stranger part of all this is that the day prior to his post, Smith is caught on video knocking on the door of a nearby home and offering to buy everyone breakfast. And last year, he spoke to the Wake Forest football team.
Smith, born in Pahokee, Florida, was a standout defensive back at Wake Forest, where he set the school record with 21 interceptions.
The Denver Broncos selected him in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft (37th overall) but traded him to the Detroit Lions after his rookie season.
Smith played 42 games with 11 starts during his four-year NFL career. He finished with 88 tackles and eight interceptions and perhaps some lingering personal pain.
