SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Former NFL defensive lineman Aldon Smith died Saturday in the Bay Area. He was 36.
Smith played six seasons in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. The Niners originally selected him with the seventh pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
The team confirmed Smith's death Saturday afternoon. No cause of death was given.
"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. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon."
Once viewed as one of the league's top young players, Smith's star-crossed career ended in 2020 after one season with the Cowboys.
As a rookie, Smith burst on the scene with 14 sacks and 27 quarterback hits on his way to finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting. He followed with his best NFL season in 2012, posting 19.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits as he earned Pro Bowl and All Pro honors. Those 19.5 sacks still stand as a franchise record for a season.
Smith's rapid ascent to NFL stardom was slowed by a series of off-field issues that included 10 arrests in nine years. That included an arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence in Miami in 2012, another on the same charge in San Jose in 2013 in which he crashed his car into a tree 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 abuse policies. On. Aug. 7, 2015, the 49ers released Smith after a third DUI-related arrest. His release came the day after he was arrested on hit-and-run, DUI and vandalism charges.
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.
Amid suspensions that kept him out of football from 2016 to 2019, Smith appeared in nine games for the Raiders in 2015 and was conditionally reinstated by the NFL in May 2020. He appeared in 16 contests for the Cowboys in 2020. He had 3.5 sacks for the Raiders and five for the Cowboys, with his last one coming against Philadelphia on Nov. 1, 2020.
Smith attempted one more comeback with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 but was arrested on a second-degree battery charge in Louisiana soon after signing with Seattle. The Seahawks waived Smith on Aug. 11, 2021, for what a source described to ESPN's Brady Henderson as an "off-the-field matter."
On the "I Am Athlete" podcast in 2023, Smith announced he was retiring from the game, saying "I'm done with ball."
In 2024, Smith attempted to turn his own struggles into a method for helping young athletes adjust to the pressures and pitfalls of such a high-profile job. He began a project called "I.M. Loading" with the I.M. standing for "Intelligent Movement." The goal was to offer mentorship and recovery coaching for those who had endured similar life challenges. That offseason, he also served as a mentor to the rookie classes of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.
Appearing on Keyshawn Johnson's "All Facts, No Breaks" podcast in June 2024, Smith told Johnson he was hoping his journey could be a cautionary tale for young players trying to make their way.
"I'm grateful for my journey so far because of where I am now," Smith told Johnson. "Just my plan, how I want to interact with the world I'm in and the people I get to meet, I don't think it would have been possible if I didn't have the journey I've had so far."
Smith, who was born on Sept. 25, 1989, in Kansas City, Missouri, played collegiately at Missouri.