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Former NFL cornerback Alphonso Smith Jr has died aged 40, and his final post was concerning to many.
The Florida native was drafted to the NFL in 2009 in the 2nd round with the 37th pick, when the Denver Broncos selected him as a rookie after a successful four years at Wake Forest University.
He would spend one season with the AFC West team before making the move to the Detroit Lions, where he played for three seasons before being released.
Smith left the NFL and briefly became a high school football coach, though he would largely disappear from the public eye until earlier this year, when he started to post on his Instagram account.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he was the director of marketing at the South Florida Family Physician at the time of his death.
The 40-year-old left a heartbreaking message on his Facebook page, where he described himself as a 'coward' and apologized to loved ones just hours before his death was confirmed.
His final message read, in full: "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!
"I am a piece of s**t! It’s a lot of you that are!
"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!
"Please forgive me!
"Please pray over your families! PLEASE PRAY FOR ALL I’ve affected!
"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!" he concluded.
The former athlete has over 12,000 followers on the social media platform, and posted regularly before his passing.
His bio read: "I am a professional by day & a comic by night. Do not judge me from my Facebook content. I joke."
After earning All-American honours in his final year in college, Smith was drafted by the Broncos and played in 15 games during his debut season.
Denver would trade him to the Detroit Lions in September 2010, with his first season there remembered as his best as a professional.
The cornerback recorded five interceptions and returned one for a touchdown, while managing 39 tackles.
Throughout his NFL career, which lasted four seasons, he appeared in 42 games, finishing with 88 tackles and eight interceptions.
Smith would also be inducted into Wake Forest University's athletic hall of fame in 2022.
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