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Troubled NFL star Alphonso Smith Jr may have been suffering from devastating brain disease CTE before his suspected suicide, his family has told the Daily Mail.
Smith, 40, was found dead in Pahokee, Florida last week after describing himself as 'f****d up' and a 'huge coward' in a disturbing Facebook post.
Authorities have not released a cause of death but the former cornerback's loved ones suspect CTE - chronic traumatic encephalopathy - could be to blame.
Studies suggest that more than 300 deceased players have suffered from the debilitating condition associated with repeated blows to the head during contact sports like football and boxing.
Symptoms include memory loss, depression and suicidal thoughts but it can only be definitively diagnosed after death.
'His brain is being studied for CTE. We think it's a factor,' his younger brother Alkevius Smith, 34, confirmed.
Former NFL star Alphonso Smith Jr was found dead from a suspected suicide at the age of 40, at his home in Pahokee, Florida on September 2
Records seen by the Daily Mail show Smith was more than $47,000 in arrears for child support payments for his four children. He is pictured with his two-year-old daughter Ava
Smith made nearly $5 million during his four seasons in the NFL suiting up for the Denver Broncos and the Detroit Lions.
But court records reveal he was embroiled in financial difficulties and was being pursued through the courts for vast sums of unpaid child support prior to his death last Wednesday.
In March 2020 DNA testing established Smith as the biological father of Kam Ayden Smith, who was born the previous May.
Ernisha Hill was awarded $735.68 per month and $8,092.48 in retroactive support but the ex-athlete failed to pay and was hit with contempt proceedings.
By June of this year, Smith - who has at least four children by four different moms - was $47,100 in arrears, according to Palm Beach County Court records.
Shaquasha Lane took the second-rounder to court in 2025 for $1,514 in unpaid support for their two-year-old daughter, Ava Christina Smith. As of last week, she was still owed $5,689.
A chilling Facebook post appeared on Smith Jr's account on September 2, referencing 'demons' and apologizing to his children
Smith Jr played college football at Wake Forest before being drafted by the Denver Broncos. He later played for the Detroit Lions until 2012
Smith apologized to his kids in a rambling social media post hours before cops responded to a 'suicide attempt' just after 2pm on September 2.
He also hinted that he had been the victim of childhood abuse, without divulging details.
'I am A COWARD! A HUGE COWARD! I am so sorry,' Smith wrote on Facebook.
'To my kids, daddy is SO SORRY! To my friends, I love you all, but your boy was f*****d 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!'
Smith was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Authorities have released no further details.
Smith was a teen phenom who led his high school team to a state championship in 2003 and was a runner-up for Florida's Mr Football award.
He attended Wake Forest from 2004 to 2008, earning All-American honors in his final season, and was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2022.
The Broncos took Smith 37th overall in the 2009 draft before trading him to the Lions a year later.
But after tallying 88 tackles and eight interceptions in 42 games, he was cut by Detroit and retired from the NFL in 2012.
Smith returned to his alma mater, Pahokee High School, as head football coach but was axed in 2015 following allegations of inappropriate conduct, according to Palm Beach outlet, WPBF.
After playing his final season with the NFL in 2012, Smith returned to his alma mater, Pahokee High School, as head football coach but was axed in 2015 following allegations of inappropriate conduct
The former NFL star's brother revealed Smith's brain is being studied for CTE, which they think was a factor in his suspected suicide
Court records reveal he was charged with domestic battery on a girlfriend in July 2016 after he allegedly pushed her face and threatened to punch her.
The prosecution was deferred when Smith agreed to attend anger management classes.
He has also been arrested for harassing phone calls and for driving with a suspended license, records show.
Smith's death came weeks after Super Bowl winner Jordan Devey died by suicide on July 21.
Devey was 38 years old. His mom Leslie Devey similarly told Fox 13 in Salt Lake City: 'We believe that he possibly suffered from CTE.'
Devey spent eight seasons in the NFL, playing for the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2021.
His wife Linsey shared the news in an emotional tribute posted on what would have been the couple's 15th wedding anniversary.
'We brought 4 beautiful children into this world that have your eyes, freckles, and compassion. You were our hero and our hearts ache in your absence,' Linsey wrote on Instagram.
A September 2024 survey of former pro football players found as many as a third feared they had symptoms of CTE.
Of the 1,980 respondents, more than 230 players reported suicidal thoughts and 176 said they had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia.
The more than 300 players diagnosed posthumously include former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson, a four-time Pro Bowler, who shot himself in the chest in 2011 after writing a note asking for his brain to be examined.
Retired San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau killed himself the following year. A study of his brain later revealed damage consistent with CTE.
The disorder was also discussed after Vontae Davis - the 35-year-old brother of Super Bowl winner Vernon Davis – was found dead at his Florida mansion in April 2024 after he binged on methamphetamine, MDMA and cannabis.
His ex-wife Megan Harpe told the Daily Mail: 'The struggles Vontae endured during and after his NFL career - the confusion, mood changes, memory loss, impulsivity, changes in character, extreme changes in behavior - were real.
'I never needed a CTE diagnosis to know what I was dealing with when Vontae retired. Those symptoms shaped the final year of his life, which ended too soon.'
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
