Aldon Smith, the dominant defensive end who became one of the San Francisco 49ers' most explosive young talents before a spiral of legal troubles derailed his career, died suddenly on Saturday at age 36. He was discovered slumped in a car after delivering pizzas to a homeless charity in the Bay Area.
Smith's family has enlisted attorneys to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death and authorized the donation of his brain to Boston University's CTE Center for research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma in contact sports.
His friend Amir Shirazi found Smith in the front passenger seat of his vehicle after the charity work and called for help. Smith was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. No cause has been disclosed.
"As with anyone who dies so suddenly at such a young age, we understand that there is a great deal of interest in and speculation about Aldon Smith's passing and we intend to get to the bottom of it," said attorneys Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers, and Wayne Kendall in a statement Tuesday. They noted that medical experts will examine Smith's brain for CTE and other damage from years of concussions and trauma.
In the 2011 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected Smith with the seventh overall pick and unleashed a phenomenon. His rookie year was historic: 14 sacks and 27 quarterback hits earned him second-place finishes in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting. The following season, 2012, proved even more explosive. Smith recorded 19.5 sacks, still a franchise record, along with 29 quarterback hits and earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections as San Francisco advanced to the Super Bowl.
But Smith's trajectory fractured under the weight of off-field problems. Multiple arrests for driving under the influence, a felony weapons charge in 2013, and subsequent arrests for DUI, hit-and-run, and vandalism mounted. The 49ers released him in 2015. The NFL suspended him multiple times for personal conduct and substance abuse violations. After a stint with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, Smith retired in 2023.
His former teammate Anthony Dixon remembered Smith on social media: "He was a creative mind, so smart, so fierce, so real, so powerful, his presence, his passion and his aura meant a lot to me as a brother."
The 49ers released a statement Saturday calling Smith's passing "sudden and tragic." "Aldon's undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization," the team said. "Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into."
Smith's decision to have his brain studied reflects the growing awareness within professional football of the long-term neurological risks athletes face. CTE cannot be diagnosed until after death and is characterized by progressive mental decline, depression, and erratic behavior.
Author James Rodriguez: "A generational talent extinguished by demons we're still trying to understand. Smith deserves answers, and so does every player who walked through those same dark corridors."
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