Aldon Smith spent his last day delivering pizzas for charity, a friend told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Amir Shirazi said he found Smith slumped over in the passenger seat of his white Chevrolet pickup truck on June 13 in Los Gatos, a suburb of San Jose. The two had just delivered 10 Little Caesars pizzas to the co-founder of CHAM Deliverance Ministry, a Bay Area charity that feeds the homeless.
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Smith played for the 49ers from 2011-14, making the All-Pro team in 2012. He played for the Raiders in 2015 and the Cowboys in 2020.
According to the Chronicle, Smith had recently moved back to the Bay Area from Texas. Per multiple reports, Smith spoke to the 49ers’ rookies at the team facility in Santa Clara recently.
Smith has plenty of life lessons to share. He was released by the 49ers in August 2015 following a DUI arrest — his fifth arrest in a span of three years. In November 2015, not long after joining the Raiders, Smith was suspended one year by the NFL for violating its substance abuse policy.
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Smith applied for reinstatement in October 2016 but was denied. He missed all of the 2016 and 2017 NFL seasons. The Raiders released Smith on March 5, 2018, shortly after he was the subject of a domestic violence allegation.
Smith resurfaced with the Cowboys in 2020 and started all 16 games in his final NFL season. He finished his career with 228 tackles, 52.5 sacks, and one interception.
“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers said in a statement June 13. “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.”