Denver Broncos defensive end Antonio Smith found out early this morning that his father had died after complications from recent heart surgery, according to Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post.
"It's rough. I just found out this morning. It was my mom who called and told me. The call came in at about 6:30," said Smith, via the Denver Post. His father, Marty Christopher Williams, had been incarcerated in prison for more than two decades for first-degree murder.
Smith will stay with the team in preparations for Super Bowl 50, and plans to play in the game despite the difficult news, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Broncos defensive lineman has been a key addition in his first season with Denver, and recorded 2.5 sacks and nine combined tackles during the regular season. Smith recorded a sack and three tackles this postseason, and will look to create pressure on Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.
Smith knows the difficulty in reaching a Super Bowl as he made it once before in his career with the Arizona Cardinals during the 2008 regular season. The Cardinals fell short against the Pittsburgh Steelers that year, and Smith will look to hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in his career this Sunday.
The Broncos finished the 2015 regular season with the top ranked defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed, and Smith has been not only a leader on the field for the Broncos defense, but a strong leader in the locker room as well.
