Wake Forest is mourning the loss of one of its most decorated defensive backs. Alphonso Smith, a 2025 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee and one of the most productive playmakers in school history, died on Sept. 2, 2026.
Smith still sits atop the ACC record book with 21 career interceptions, and he ranks second in Wake Forest history with 61 passes defended. He was also an important piece of the Demon Deacons’ 2006 ACC Championship team.
“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 immediately piled up national recognition. He earned first-team Freshman All-American honors 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 made The Sporting News ACC All-Freshman Team.
His junior season in 2007 produced one of the defining moments of his Wake Forest career. Against Maryland, Smith returned an interception 100 yards - the longest in school history - to help ignite a comeback from a 24-3 deficit.
Wake Forest went on to beat the Terps 31-24 in overtime. Smith finished that year with a school-record eight interceptions, the most in both the NCAA and ACC.
That season brought a long list of honors: first-team All-ACC, second-team All-American from Walter Camp, third-team All-American from the Associated Press and honorable mention All-American from Sports Illustrated.
Smith closed out his Wake Forest career in 2008 with seven interceptions and a second straight first-team All-ACC selection. He was also named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association, Walter Camp and CBS Sports. His standout play made him a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive player.
Smith was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft and later spent three years with the Detroit Lions. His NFL career ended with 88 tackles, 19 pass deflections, eight interceptions, two defensive touchdowns and two fumbles forced.
In Other News...
Wake Forest Opens With One Big Test For Its Rebuilt Roster
Wake Forests offseason reset has been dramatic, even by modern college football standards. After losing 24 players to the transfer portal following the 2025 season, the Demon Deacons are set to bring in 18 new transfers as they try to rebuild quickly around a reshaped roster. The headliners are quarterback Gio Lopez and wide receivers Carlos Hernandez and Kam Shanks, additions that should give the offense a different look as the program tries to stabilize in a hurry.
The early test is interesting because the Deacons are also leaning on what remained intact. Running back Ty Clark III, along with defensive leaders Langston Hardy and Aiden Hall, gives Wake Forest some established pieces to anchor all the change. Akron arrives with its own problems, including quarterback eligibility concerns and the loss of key players on both sides of the ball, which makes this matchup a revealing first look at how much the Demon Deacons can trust their new mix right away. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest's New-Look Offense Took Over Fast Against Akron
Wake Forest wasted little time showing what its revamped offense can look like, jumping on Akron early and turning the afternoon into a showcase for explosive plays. Gio Lopez settled in quickly, the Demon Deacons stacked up points through the air and the defense added its own pressure with sacks and a turnover, helping build a commanding 28-3 halftime lead.
The big-play burst was the clearest sign that this group may have a different ceiling if the passing game keeps stretching the field like this. Akron did manage a late touchdown before the break, but Wake Forest had already separated itself and left plenty of room for the larger question now: how often can this offense sustain that kind of pace once the competition stiffens? [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Opens With A Chance To Prove Last Year Was Real
Wake Forest opens its season Thursday night with a home date at Allegacy Financial Stadium, a familiar kind of early test with a little extra edge to it. After last year gave the Demon Deacons something concrete to build on, the opener offers an immediate chance to show that progress was more than a one-off, and the setting should help frame the conversation right away with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET on The ACC Network.
Akron arrives as the first opponent, which is exactly the sort of game that can tell you a lot about where a team really stands in September. Even the preseason guesswork around the matchup points squarely toward Wake Forest, but the bigger question is whether the Demon Deacons can turn that expectation into the kind of clean, convincing start that makes the rest of the season feel more believable. [Read more 🡒]