Cowboys LT Tyron Smith Taking Legal Measures Against his Family

By: Kim O'Hara | Posted: November 01, 2012

According to the Dallas Morning News, left tackle Tyron Smith resorted to police assistance after an October 30 altercation with his siblings at his home. The Cowboys' first draft pick in 2011 already has a protective order against his mother and stepfather, both of whom are accused with harrassing Smith for financial benefit. 

It appears as though at least two of his siblings (Smith has three sisters and two brothers) visited Smith's home, uninvited, twice in the past week, forcing the lineman to call 911 and request police intervention. According to the police report filed, Smith's siblings turned up to “harass and torment” him “in the pursuit of collecting financial gain". After signing his $12.5 million contract, Smith shared a generous amount with his family, but it was evidently insufficient in the eyes of his mother, stepfather and siblings. As John Schorsch, Smith's attorney, pointed out: “You can use your own imagination as to what it took for a guy that big and that imposing to be that worried.” 

By all accounts, Smith is a quiet, self-contained young man. His level of focus is exemplified by the simple fact that he's been asked to play both right and left tackle in his two NFL seasons and that the's become one of the (few) reliable portions of the Cowboys' offensive line. The notion that his family feels such entitlement as to begin harrassing him and demanding the tangible byproduct of his success is truly troubling. As exemplified by ESPN's recent 30 for 30 "Broke", Smith is far from the first or only player subjected to family and hangers-on exploiting his success for financial gain. All too often, athletes feel compelled to financially support entire networks of friends and loved ones, ultimately leaving them with little, if any, savings for a post-profesional sports future. 

It sounds like the drastic measures Smith has taken to ensure his financial future are fully necessary; it's just a shame his own flesh and blood was the catalyst.

Kim O'Hara is the Associate Editor of TheFootballGirl.com. She is an avid fan of sports in general, but the NFL in particular. She has also been a contributor to ESPN the Magazine. Follow her on Twitter: @KimOHaraTFG 

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