Former Jaguars standout LB Telvin Smith accused of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without the intent to kill

The sad story of former Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith took another turn off the football field this weekend. 

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office records, Smith was arrested on Thursday on charges centered around aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. The charge is classified as a third-degree felony and Smith appeared before a local judge on Friday afternoon for his first hearing. Further details of Smith's case are not currently available, but it is the former Jaguars defender's second arrest since 2020. 

During the spring of 2020, Smith was arrested after allegedly having an unlawful sexual relationship with a minor. He was not an active player at the time but the Jaguars did retain his rights after placing Smith on the reserve/retired list in the summer of 2019. Smith decided to sit out the 2019 season in order to "give time back to myself, my family, & my health." The arrest in 2020 would prove to close the door on any future opportunities in the NFL. He pled no contest to those charges related to his first arrest in 2021.

This latest turn for Smith is another sad development for a player who once appeared to have the world in front of him on the gridiron. Smith was a fifth-round draft choice out of Florida State in 2014 who started 69 of his 76 career games before stepping away from the game after the 2018 season. Smith signed a four-year, $45 million contract extension with the team in 2017 — the same year he would go on to make the Pro Bowl and Jacksonville would advance to the AFC Championship Game. 

Here's hoping this latest incident for Smith is the last time we hear his name under such circumstances. For now, it's time to allow all the facts come to light surrounding his arrest.