Former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith passed away today at the age of 36.
Statement from San Francisco 49ers:
“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith. 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 was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers as the seventh overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. During his career with the 49ers, he appeared in 50 games (30 starts) and registered 152 tackles, 44.0 sacks, five passes defensed, five forced fumbles, one interception and one fumble recovery. Smith also appeared in eight postseason contests (six starts) and totaled 20 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
As a rookie in 2011, Smith registered a team-high 14.0 sacks, the second-most by a rookie in a single season in NFL history (since sacks became an official statistic in 1982). A First-Team Associated Press All-Pro in 2012 and 2013 Pro Bowl selection, Smith’s 19.5 sacks as a second-year player are the most in a single season in 49ers franchise history. His 33.5 sacks through his first two seasons (2011-12) are the most by any player in their first two seasons.
Born Aldon Jacarus Smith on September, 25, 1989, he attended the University of Missouri where he was a First-Team All-Big 12 selection and the recipient of Missouri’s Defensive Lineman of the Year Award in 2010.
Aldon Smith, a former NFL linebacker who was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, has died at the age of 36, the team announced on Saturday, June 13.
“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith. 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,” the team said in a statement.
“Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into,” the team continued. “Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”
The 49ers did not provide a cause of death.
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The seventh overall pick out of Missouri in the 2011 NFL Draft, Smith spent the first four years of his NFL career in San Francisco, where he was elected to the Pro Bowl in 2012 and named First-team All-Pro that same year. He made 50 appearances for the 49ers and tallied 152 tackles and 44.0 sacks.
Smith also played for the then-Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, with his final season being in 2020.
His time in the league was marred by off-the-field troubles, with Smith being arrested 10 times in nine years, according to ESPN. Smith was suspended for nine games in 2014 after being found in violation of the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies. He was released by the 49ers in 2015 after a third DUI-related arrest, per ESPN.
In 2015, while a member of the Raiders, Smith was suspended by the league for a year after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He was reinstated into the league in 2020.
Smith signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 but was released in August of that year.