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Aldon Smith, the former linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers and a former Mizzou athlete, has passed away at the age of 36.
On Saturday, June 13, the 49ers made the heartbreaking announcement, penning, "We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith."
Aldon Smith's cause of death
At the time of the writing, no cause of death was provided by the team.
Smith was drafted by the 49ers in the 2011 NFL draft, and in his career, he appeared in around 50 games for the team.
Aldon Smith's off-field troubles
His high-soaring career went off tracks due to off-field troubles, as he was arrested 10 times in nine years for issues such as DUIs and an arrest for three felony charges of possessing illegal assault weapons in October 2013.
The NFL suspended Smith for nine games in 2014 for violation of the league's personal conduct and substance policies.
In August 2015, the 49ers released Smith after a third DUI-linked arrest.
Smith signed with the Raiders in September 2015, but the league suspended him for a year in November 2015 for again violating the league's substance abuse policy.
He appeared in 16 games for the Cowboys in 2020. He had 3.5 sacks for the Raiders and five for the Cowboys.
His return with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 was also unsuccessful, as he was arrested on a second-degree battery charge in Louisiana.
Aldon Smith announced that he is retiring from the NFL in 2023 during an appearance on the I Am Athlete podcast.
