By now most every member of Raider Nation must know of the on-going saga revolving around former Raiders defensive end Anthony Smith a man facing murder charges going back nearly two decades. If you know nothing of the story or you’re looking to try and get a grasp on the mysterious nature of a figure too-real for fiction then checkout the piece Kathy Dobie penned for the February issue of GQ.

Dobie digs through Smith’s past tracing the fragmented details of a man that has been described as a “teddy bear” by former teammate Harvey Williams yet is accused of being linked to crimes of arson, torture, impersonating an officer and multiple murders.

Obviously the many negative stigmatisms associated with the Raiders franchise are what give this story the legs that have carried it in and out of the news cycle over the last year and a half. However Dobie’s research based on countless interviews, the findings of police investigations and some tedious attention to details exhumes a story so chilling and haunting that Smith’s football background becomes mere window dressing.

At one point Smith was a productive pass rusher that met, fell in love with and married former Prince protégé Vanity in the matter of a month. But those that knew Smith, or at least thought they did, saw something happening as his career came to its conclusion.

Despite being married to a lawyer Smith was said to spend a lot of his time with known gang affiliates. His cell phone records and a stolen vehicle connect him to a homicide in Lancaster, California, while another two murders that occurred over a decade ago suddenly came to light when a cold case was reopened. An arson fire at a business in Santa Monica turned up countless pieces of mail and magazines with Smith’s address on them.

Yet no matter the evidence nothing has stuck to Smith who is described as calm and composed whenever he takes the witness stand and to date has not been convicted of anything. Interestingly those that know Smith say they no longer recognize who he is as if his personality has shifted. Even officers that have interrogated Smith have said the same thing as he goes from sad and remorseful one minute to cold and calculating the next.

Whatever comes of this all-too-real drama what will always remain are countless tragedies with no answers. Perhaps we’ll never know what shaped Smith into a man framed as a violent criminal hell bent on revenge. Then again maybe this is was just a man used as a pawn in someone else’s game. That one can even say that of someone accused of such heinous acts is frightening in itself. One thing is for sure, we haven’t heard the last of Anthony Wayne Smith and for all we know Dobie’s well-crafted piece is only the tip of this iceberg.

Recently a few former Raiders have experienced this sad but common tale of hardship during life after football.

Last year Ray Guy had to sell off his Super Bowl rings at a bankruptcy auction. Recently it was revealed that the continued trials and tribulations of Ken Stabler have resulted in a $265,000 tax debt he’s unable to pay. And then there’s the unfolding saga of Anthony Smith who each week it seems is being linked to another murder case.

Of the three men mentioned it is easy to feel sympathy for Guy and Stabler. Both remain beloved figures in the silver and black family. Despite their struggles, especially Stabler, their legacies remain undamaged.

As if it isn’t enough that Ray Guy continues to be ignored by the Hall of Fame now he’s without his two most prized football possessions. Stabler’s struggles have been well documented over the years but to many his troubles only endear him more to the fans that lovingly supported him.

Now Smith is a much different story. Who knows what to make of his legal woes?

For starter’s it’s not like we’re talking about a guy that is considered among the all-time greats to wear the jersey. To be sure he was a very talented and productive defender but his reappearance in the headlines is more closely tied to all the false stereotypes associated with the Raiders.

Then again, when a man stands accused of impersonating an officer to kidnap a pair of brothers in order to carryout a gangland killing he could work for Dairy Queen and the story is sure to gain some traction in this media savvy world we live in.

Aside from Smith, it is easy to sit back and point the finger of blame at immature and irresponsible athletes for these types of transgressions. Many only see the fame and glamor of the sport without fully digesting the nature of being a pro. Most athletes are lucky to get three years out of their chosen field. Only a handful ever gets the mega-paydays we so openly discuss. Not to mention bankruptcy, tax debt and marital issues are problems that plague this country as a whole regardless of profession.

Smith, on the other hand, is just a tragic tale on all accounts. That he continues to be associated with murder trials and is currently poised for a re-trial yet hasn’t served any prison time says a lot. It says either he’s the most unfortunate man on the planet or that our justice system is more flawed than we’d care to admit.