Tyron Smith, the Dallas Cowboys' 2011 first-round draft pick, signed a $12.94 million contract last July. That should have set him up for life. Instead, it has created division and acrimony within his family.
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The Dallas Morning News reports that police responded to a 911 call from the offensive tackle's Dallas home after siblings came by to "harass and torment" him "in the pursuit of collecting financial gain," in the words of the police report.
Two of Smith's sisters were among the three people who showed up to the house. The newspaper writes that Smith is "emotionally torn apart" by the developments, which aren't new. He also was forced to file a protective order against his stepfather and his mother during the summer in order to keep them away.
The protective order prevented his parents from visiting Smith at training camp, which was within driving distance of their California home. A family member reportedly had to be removed from the practice facility.
"Lesser means were tried, and they weren't successful," said Smith's attorney, John Schorsch. "You can use your own imagination as to what it took for a guy that big and that imposing to be that worried."
Smith reportedly gave his family a substantial amount of money after he was drafted, but relatives keep coming back for more.
The entire story is a sad one and a reminder of the pressures that athletes face and fans never see.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
