Aldon Smith, the former San Francisco 49ers All-Pro linebacker who died at age 36 on Saturday, spent his final hours delivering pizzas to a homeless charity in the Bay Area before being found unresponsive in a truck hours later. The 49ers confirmed Smith’s death on June 13, 2026, marking a tragic end to a career of extraordinary highs and devastating lows.
Smith was drafted seventh overall by the 49ers in 2011 and immediately became one of the league’s most exciting young pass rushers. As a rookie, he recorded 14 sacks—the second-most by a rookie in a single season in NFL history—and finished as Rookie of the Year runner-up, according to the 49ers’ official statement.
In 2012, Smith posted 19.5 sacks, still the 49ers’ single-season franchise record, and earned first-team All-Pro honors along with a Pro Bowl selection. Over his seven seasons with San Francisco, he was selected to five Pro Bowls, establishing himself as one of the most dominant defensive talents in the league.
On the morning of his death, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, Smith accompanied his friend Amir Shirazi to CHAM Deliverance Ministry, a local charity providing meals to unhoused residents in Northern California. The two delivered 10 Little Caesars pizzas and spent time with the organization’s co-founder, Scott Wagers, who had no idea the former NFL star would be visiting. “My impression was that this is a young man that wanted to help the homeless, which was great,” Wagers told the Chronicle.
After leaving the charity, Shirazi and Smith stopped at a grocery store and gas station before returning to Shirazi’s home in Los Gatos. “We were joking about life and talking about stuff right before,” Shirazi said. When Shirazi returned outside, he found Smith slumped over in the front passenger seat of his white Chevy pickup, unresponsive. “He was perfectly fine an hour before,” Shirazi said. “I came out and he was basically dead in my front seat.”
Shirazi called 911 and summoned former 49ers running back Anthony Dixon to assist with CPR. Smith was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, where he was declared dead at 12:46 p.m. The Santa Clara County medical examiner confirmed his death but stated that the cause and manner of death are pending toxicology results, which could take weeks or months.
A Career Derailed by Legal Troubles
Despite his early promise, Smith’s career was marked by repeated run-ins with the law. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in January 2012, with the charge later reduced to reckless driving. That same year, he faced three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon after a party where he suffered stab wounds and shots were fired; those charges were reduced to misdemeanors.
In September 2013, Smith was arrested on suspicion of DUI and marijuana possession, and he voluntarily entered a rehabilitation facility, missing five games that season. The NFL suspended him for the first nine games of the 2014 season for violating the league’s substance-abuse and personal-conduct policies.
The 49ers released Smith in August 2015 after he was arrested on charges including hit-and-run, DUI, and vandalism. The Oakland Raiders signed him a month later, but NFL suspensions sidelined him for seven games that season and four entire seasons thereafter. In March 2018, the Raiders released him, and days later he turned himself in on domestic violence charges. The NFL conditionally reinstated him in 2020, and he recorded five sacks with the Dallas Cowboys that season—his last in professional football. He signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 but was arrested on a second-degree battery charge and released before being sentenced to a year in jail in April 2023.
At 36, Smith was financially struggling and still nearly two decades away from drawing his NFL pension, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He had recently returned to the Bay Area after living in Texas, bouncing between friends’ homes as he waited for his pension eligibility. According to league sources, he had visited Levi’s Stadium just the previous week to speak with the 49ers’ newest rookies about training and development.
The 49ers released a statement mourning his passing: “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.”
Sources
- San Francisco 49ers — Official statement on Smith’s death and career achievements; confirmation of 14 rookie sacks and 19.5 sacks in 2012
- San Francisco Chronicle — Details of Smith’s final hours, his visit to the homeless charity, discovery by friend Amir Shirazi, and financial struggles; information about his legal history and substance abuse issues
- ESPN — Confirmation of Smith’s death at age 36 on Saturday in the Bay Area
- USA Today — Confirmation of Smith’s death and the 49ers’ statement
- NFL.com — Confirmation that Smith was the 2011 No. 7 overall pick and an All-Pro linebacker
- Yahoo Sports — Information about Smith’s six-year NFL career and off-field incidents
