Alphonso Smith Jr., a former NFL cornerback who played for the Denver Broncos and Detroit Lions, has died at 40. Sources with direct knowledge told TMZ Sports he died Wednesday at a housing community in Florida. Hours before his death, Smith had shared an emotional post on Facebook describing a struggle with what he called "demons," apologizing to people he felt he had hurt and saying he needed help.

Denver drafted Smith in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest, where he set the ACC's career interception record with 21. He was traded to Detroit in 2010 in a deal that sent tight end Dan Gronkowski to the Broncos. Smith went on to start 10 games for the Lions that season, picking off five passes, including one returned for a touchdown, and finished his three-year NFL career with eight interceptions and 88 tackles across 42 games, according to Yahoo Sports.

Word of his death spread quickly across the NFL community on Wednesday, with former teammates and fans sharing condolences online. No further details on the circumstances have been released. Anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.