Former Denver Broncos 2nd-round pick Alphonso Smith Jr. has died at 40 years old, according to a report from TMZ on Wednesday.
Smith was a 2nd-round pick (No. 37 overall) by the Broncos in the 2009 NFL Draft, with former head coach Josh McDaniels infamously giving up the Broncos’ 2010 1st-round pick to take Smith out of Wake Forest.
From TMZ: “Alphonso Smith Jr. — a former NFL player and standout cornerback at Wake Forest University — has died … Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … the former cornerback died by suicide on Wednesday at a housing community in Florida. Alphonso attended Wake Forest from 2004 to 2008 … earning All-American honors in his final season with the school. He was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2022.”
Alphonso Smith Jr. Had Short Career in NFL
Smith, 5-foot-9 and 193 pounds, was a 2-time All-American and 2-time All-ACC selection at Wake Forest, and his 21 career interceptions are still the ACC career record.
Perhaps the worst twist in his short time with the Broncos came 1 year after he was selected, when the Seattle Seahawks used the pick obtained in the Smith trade to take University of Texas safety Earl Thomas.
Thomas would go on to become 1 of the greatest safeties in NFL history — a 5-time NFL All-Pro, 7-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion and member of the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.
Smith played 3 more seasons for the Lions and was out of the NFL after playing just 4 games in the 2012 season.
Final Facebook Post Indicated Intentions to Take Life
According to TMZ, Smith’s final Facebook post seemed to indicate he was on a path to taking his own life.
Former Denver Broncos 2nd-Round Pick Dead at 40