One of the NFL’s most talented and troubled star players, Aldon Smith, has died. He was 36 years old.
“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers said in a statement. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”
Smith exploded onto the NFL scene in 2011 after becoming a first-round selection (7th overall) of the San Francisco 49ers. In his first two years with the 49ers, the former Missouri Tiger racked up 33.5 sacks, the most ever for a player in the first two years of his career. He finished second in the voting for defensive rookie of the year in 2011 and became a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2012.
However, trouble would start for Smith in 2014.
He served a nine-game suspension in 2014 for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
Following a DUI arrest in August 2015, the 49ers released him. Smith would stay in the Bay Area and appear in nine games for the Raiders that season. After Week 10, the league handed him an indefinite suspension.
That suspension would lead to the former Pro Bowler missing the entirety of the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
His final straw with the Raiders would come in 2018 after a domestic violence arrest.
In 2020, he would play the entire 16-game season with the Cowboys but would only notch five sacks.
He would draw interest from the Seahawks and sign with them in 2021 but was released before the start of the season.