Wake Forest is mourning one of the most productive defensive backs in program history.
Alphonso Smith, a 2025 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee and a key piece of the school’s 2006 ACC Championship team, passed away on Sept. 2, 2026, according to Wake Forest Athletics. He still stands as the ACC’s career interceptions leader with 21, and he ranks second in Wake Forest history with 61 passes defended.
“First and foremost, I am heartbroken,” said Wake Forest Sports Hall of Famer Jim Grobe. “Alphonso was one of those special people that every time you saw him, he had a big smile on his face and he just made you feel better to be around him.
And he was obviously a great football player, too. I just loved him and he was great to have on our football team.
The team loved him, and he was a difference maker. He won a bunch of games for us and he made a lot of plays, especially late in the fourth quarter that turned games around and won games for us.
He was an instinctive player. But, the No. 1 attribute I remember about Alphonso is his smile.
He was a blessing for us.”
Smith arrived at Wake Forest in 2005 and wasted no time making an impact. He earned first-team Freshman All-American recognition from CollegeFootballNews.com, ESPN.com and Scout.com, while The Sporting News and Rivals.com both named him second-team Freshman All-American. He also landed on the Sporting News ACC All-Freshman Team.
His junior season in 2007 produced one of the signature plays in school history: a 100-yard interception return against Maryland, the longest in Wake Forest history. That pick helped fuel a comeback from a 24-3 deficit and set up a 31-24 overtime win over the Terps. Smith finished that season with a school-record eight interceptions, a total that led both the NCAA and the ACC.
The honors piled up after that breakout year. Smith was named first-team All-ACC, second-team All-American by Walter Camp, third-team All-American by the Associated Press and honorable mention All-American by Sports Illustrated.
He closed his Wake Forest career in 2008 with seven interceptions and a second straight first-team All-ACC selection. That season also brought first-team All-American honors from the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association, Walter Camp and CBS Sports.
Smith was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive player, before going on to the NFL. The Denver Broncos selected him in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, and he later spent three years with the Detroit Lions. In his NFL career, Smith recorded 88 tackles, 19 pass deflections, eight interceptions, two defensive touchdowns and two fumbles forced.
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Wake Forest Mourns A Program Legend Whose Impact Went Beyond Records
Wake Forest lost one of the defining players in its football modern history with the death of Alphonso Smith on Sept. 2, 2026. Smith was more than a memorable name in the record book, although that part mattered plenty too, as the cornerback still owns the ACC career interceptions record and helped fuel the 2006 team that brought home an ACC championship.
His place in Wake Forest lore was already secure before his induction into the 2025 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, and his football path carried him from Winston-Salem to the NFL after the Denver Broncos drafted him in 2009. Smith later played for the Detroit Lions, but for Wake Forest fans, his legacy will always be tied to a program-changing era and the standard he set on and off the field. [Read more 🡒]
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