Tyron Smith is in the second year of a $12.5 million deal from the Cowboys so when at least a million of it went missing, he and lawyers took notice.
Smith has been in the midst of a family dispute for quite some time now and things came to a head this week when he had to call the police on Tuesday. Smith’s two sisters reportedly showed up at his house to “harass and torment” the Cowboys’ right tackle “in pursuit of collecting financial gain,” according to the Dallas Morning News.
Smith filed a protective order this summer against his mother and stepfather, Frankie and Roy Pinkney, that prevents them from contacting him personally or through his two sisters. The protective order was a last resort, according to Smith’s lawyer John Schorsch.
“Lesser means were tried and they weren’t successful,” Schorsch said. “You can use your own imagination as to what it took for a guy that big
and that imposing to be that worried.”
Smith had given his family a substantial cut of his initial contract but the family has reportedly continued to come after him for more. Smith’s lawyer’s estimate that the amount of money missing from Smith’s finances was “in the seven digits” with much of it believed to have been obtained against Smith’s wishes.
His mother, however, is denying any such claims.
“I don’t know anything about any missing money,” Frankie Pinkney said. “The
money that we did receive from Tyron was all accounted for and
everything is in writing, and he’s authorized all of it.”
Frankie also said that the dispute within the family is about Smith’s girlfriend, Leigh Costa, who is five years older than Smith. According to her, when Smith’s sisters came to his home Costa would not allow them to see their brother.
From there, the stories begin to differ. Costa claims that Smith’s sisters threatened her and demanded money while Pinkney is denying any such claims.
“His mom is effectively saying none of this is about money, and it’s
Leigh’s fault,” said Schorsch. “Leigh doesn’t have a restraining order on her. Leigh
didn’t take any money. She didn’t do anything. Leigh is a third-party
victim standing in the line of fire from these people, and it’s
unfortunate.”
Pinkney is also claiming that the money they have received from Smith is part of a structured system in which he gives them money throughout his contract, a claim Schorsch called “ridiculous” and “very revealing of her inability to recognize the innate parasite mentality” of the family.
In the midst of all this noise, Smith — who is the Cowboys’ starting left tackle — has been preparing for Dallas’ game against the 7-0 Atlanta Falcons. The team believes he will handle the issue and that it should not affect the team on Sunday.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@TyronSmith77
