Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Sports Hall of Famer Alphonso Smith Passes Away
9/3/2026 3:00:00 PM | Football
Smith remains the Atlantic Coast Conference’s career interceptions leader and was inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest Athletics mourns the loss of former football standout Alphonso Smith, who passed away on Sept. 2, 2026. A 2025 Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Smith remains the ACC's leader for career interceptions with 21 and is also second in school history with 61 passes defended. He was also a key member of the 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."
His Demon Deacon career began in 2005, earning first-team Freshman All-American honors by CollegeFootballNews.com, ESPN.com, and Scout.com. He was also named second-team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News and Rivals.com.
Additionally, his final accolade after his freshman season was being named to the Sporting News ACC All-Freshman Team.
As a junior in 2007, Smith is remembered most by his 100-yard interception return – the longest in school history – against Maryland that sparked Wake Forest to rally from a 24-3 deficit and post a 31-24 win in overtime over the Terps. Smith finished the 2007 season with a school-record eight interceptions, which ranked No. 1 in both the NCAA and ACC.
He was later 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.
Smith concluded his Wake Forest career in 2008, tallying seven interceptions en route to first-team All-ACC team honors for the second consecutive year, along with being named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association, Walter Camp and CBS Sports.
Due to his outstanding play Smith was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award, awarded annually to the nation's top defensive player.
Smith was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, as his career also included a three-year stint with the Detroit Lions. He finished his NFL career with 88 tackles, 19 pass deflections, eight interceptions, two defensive touchdowns and two fumbles forced.
Smith graduated from Wake Forest in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He is survived by his parents, Alphonso Smith Sr. (Leona) and Jacqueline Lane (Jimmy), aunt, Sharon Jackson, uncle, Kerry Jackson, girlfriend, Johniche Funderburk, his children, siblings and cousins.
"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."
His Demon Deacon career began in 2005, earning first-team Freshman All-American honors by CollegeFootballNews.com, ESPN.com, and Scout.com. He was also named second-team Freshman All-American by The Sporting News and Rivals.com.
Additionally, his final accolade after his freshman season was being named to the Sporting News ACC All-Freshman Team.
As a junior in 2007, Smith is remembered most by his 100-yard interception return – the longest in school history – against Maryland that sparked Wake Forest to rally from a 24-3 deficit and post a 31-24 win in overtime over the Terps. Smith finished the 2007 season with a school-record eight interceptions, which ranked No. 1 in both the NCAA and ACC.
He was later 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.
Smith concluded his Wake Forest career in 2008, tallying seven interceptions en route to first-team All-ACC team honors for the second consecutive year, along with being named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association, Walter Camp and CBS Sports.
Due to his outstanding play Smith was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Award, awarded annually to the nation's top defensive player.
Smith was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, as his career also included a three-year stint with the Detroit Lions. He finished his NFL career with 88 tackles, 19 pass deflections, eight interceptions, two defensive touchdowns and two fumbles forced.
Smith graduated from Wake Forest in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He is survived by his parents, Alphonso Smith Sr. (Leona) and Jacqueline Lane (Jimmy), aunt, Sharon Jackson, uncle, Kerry Jackson, girlfriend, Johniche Funderburk, his children, siblings and cousins.
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