Aldon Smith has died; brain donated to BU CTE Center. Former 49ers star who helped reach three consecutive NFC title games before arrests and suspensions shaped his career.
Aldon Smith, the former NFL standout, has died at age 36. The 49ers picked him seventh overall in 2011 and he became one of the league’s most explosive edge players, setting franchise records early before off-field issues curtailed his career. The team has offered condolences. The cause of death has not been disclosed.
NFL star Aldon Smith has died after delivering pizzas for a homeless charity in the San Francisco Bay Area. Attorneys say his brain will be examined for CTE as part of ongoing family-initiated investigations into the death.