06/13/26 08:17:00
Printable Page
06/13 20:15 CDT 49ers mourn the sudden death of former All-Pro linebacker Aldon
Smith at 36
49ers mourn the sudden death of former All-Pro linebacker Aldon Smith at 36
By JOSH DUBOW
AP Pro Football Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --- Aldon Smith, the troubled but talented pass rusher whose
promising career was derailed by legal problems, has died at age 36.
The San Francisco 49ers announced Smith's death on Saturday night. The team did
not disclose a cause of death.
"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."
Smith was drafted by the 49ers with the 11th overall pick out of Missouri in
2011 and made an immediate impact on the team, helping San Francisco snap a
playoff drought and reach the NFC title game his first three seasons with one
trip to a Super Bowl.
He had 14 sacks as a rookie when he finished second to Von Miller in voting for
the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and had a franchise-record 19 1/2 sacks in
2012 when he was named a first-team All-Pro.
His 33 1/2 sacks in his first two seasons are the most in NFL history. He kept
that pace up with 4 1/2 sacks in the first three games in 2013 before the
off-field issues started with an arrest for DUI and a stint in rehab for
substance abuse that sidelined him for five games.
He was also arrested on a weapons charge that season but returned to the field.
"I'm getting there," he said after his stint in 2013 on the non-football injury
list. "Every day's just a step closer to getting to where I want to be I've
gotten a lot of support, from my family, friends, organization, teammates and
everything. And it really says a lot that people care about me outside the
field and they care about me as a person."
Smith had 3 1/2 sacks in the playoffs that season but was suspended for the
first nine games in 2014 and never made it back to his early level of
performance because of suspensions and injuries.
San Francisco then released him in August 2015 after another drunken driving
charge --- his fifth arrest in three years. He signed with Oakland just before
the start of the 2015 season and had 3 1/2 sacks in nine games before being
suspended again.
"Aldon proudly wore the Silver and Black, was respected by his teammates and
will be missed dearly," the Raiders said in a statement.
Smith applied for reinstatement to the NFL in 2016, but was not allowed back
initially. The Raiders released him in 2018 following a domestic violence
arrest. A plea agreement was reached in that case.
He eventually was reinstated in 2020 and played 16 games for Dallas that season
and had five sacks.
He signed with Seattle the next season but was arrested again for battery and
was released in training camp. He served a six-month jail sentence for DUI in
2023 and never played again in the NFL.
Smith finished his career with 52 1/2 sacks in 75 games.
In college he was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and the recipient of
Missouri's Defensive Lineman of the Year Award in 2010.
___
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
|
