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Aldon Smith’s brain will be donated by his family to Boston University’s CTE Center following his untimely death this weekend.
The former NFL defensive lineman was 36 when he was found unconscious in the passenger seat of a friend’s car after a day delivering food to a homeless shelter.
No cause of death was given, but Smith’s family hired attorneys Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall to investigate Smith’s death.
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Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers runs during practice at the 49ers practice facility in Santa Clara on Wednesday, January 15, 2014. (LiPo Ching/MediaNews Group/Mercure News via Getty Images)
“As with anyone who dies so suddenly at such a young age, we understand that there is a lot of interest and speculation surrounding the death of Aldon Smith and we intend to get to the bottom of the matter,” the attorneys said in a statement released Tuesday. “To that end, we have taken a number of steps, including sending his brain to Boston where medical experts will examine it for CTEs as well as other damage caused by years of additional concussions and trauma.
“In the meantime, we just ask that you keep Aldon’s family in our prayers and respect their privacy as they struggle to cope with this terrible loss.”
Just hours before he was found unconscious, Smith unexpectedly dropped off 10 pizzas at CHAM Deliverance Ministry, a San Jose, California, charity that feeds the homeless.
After dropping off the pizzas, his friend Amir Shirazi drove them to a grocery store and then took them home. He told the San Francisco Chronicle that he quickly ran inside to turn on some lights and when he returned to the car, Smith was slumped in his seat.
“I got out and he was basically dead in my front seat,” Shirazi said. “I’m just in shock.”
San Francisco 49ers forward linebacker Aldon Smith (99) before an NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The 49ers beat the Giants 16-10 (Photo by Rich Kane/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) ((Rich Kane/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images))
FORMER NFL PASS RUSHER ALDON SMITH’S LAST ACT BEFORE HIS DEATH WAS GIVING FOOD TO THE HOMELESS
Smith was drafted seventh overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Missouri and made an immediate impact as a rookie, collecting 14.0 sacks and forcing two fumbles in 16 games. The following year, he set a San Francisco 49ers franchise record with 19.5 sacks and was named first-team All-Pro while leading the team to Super Bowl XLVII.
Smith reached 30 career sacks in just 27 games, making him the fastest player in NFL history, breaking a record previously held by Hall of Famer Reggie White.
In 2013, Smith voluntarily entered rehab and missed five games. In 2014, he served a nine-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies.
The following year, the 49ers released Smith in August following his third drunk driving arrest before he was signed a few weeks later by the Oakland Raiders.
Smith remained indefinitely suspended from the NFL for four full seasons while dealing with legal and personal issues. He returned in 2020 and played a full season with the Dallas Cowboys, starting all 16 games.
He signed with Seattle the following season, but was arrested again for battery and was released in training camp. He served a six-month prison sentence for drunk driving in 2023 and never played in the NFL again.
Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers leaves the field after sacking St. Louis Rams quarterback AJ Feeley on fourth down in the fourth quarter at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California on December 4, 2011. (Nhat V. Meyer/MediaNews Group)
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Smith finished his career with 52.5 sacks in 75 games.
