Former NFL cornerback Alphonso Smith Jr., 40, found dead hours after final Facebook post

A former NFL cornerback, the defensive position responsible for shadowing an opposing team's pass receivers, was found dead in a Florida community on Wednesday, hours after a Facebook post that read as a final goodbye. Alphonso Smith Jr. was 40. A family member confirmed his death to OutKick but asked not to be identified; the official cause of death has not been determined.

The post, which the family believes Smith wrote before his death, moved through apology, confession, and what he described as a kind of theological explanation. He wrote that he had tried to fight what he called demons that someone had placed inside him. He said he had needed help and had not gotten it. He addressed his children, telling them he was sorry. To his family, he described something an older woman had done to him when he was young, wrote that he had repeated that harm onto others, and asked for forgiveness. "Please pray over your families," he wrote. "PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL I've affected."

He called himself "the WORST" and wrote that his heart was pure but that his brain and experience were "MESSED UP." The post closed: "THIS IS IT."

TMZ reported that Smith died by suicide. OutKick, which confirmed his death through the family member, said it could not independently verify that account. The official manner of death remained unconfirmed at the time of this report.

The career

Smith grew up in Pahokee, Florida. At Wake Forest University, he became a standout defensive back and set the school's interception record with 21. As recently as last year, he returned to speak to the Wake Forest football team.

The Denver Broncos selected him in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, 37th overall. After his first season, the Broncos traded him to the Detroit Lions. He played 42 games over four years, starting 11, and finished with 88 tackles and eight interceptions.

The day before

The day prior to his post, security footage captured Smith knocking on the door of a nearby home and offering to buy everyone breakfast. He was found dead the following day, hours after the post appeared.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or by calling 1-800-273-8255.