Aldon Smith, the former 49ers defensive end who once looked like one of the NFL’s brightest young stars, has died at 36.
The San Francisco 49ers announced his death on Saturday. The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office confirmed Smith was declared dead at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose after suffering a medical emergency in Los Gatos and that the cause and manner of death will be determined after an investigation.
“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers said in a statement.
Smith had been back around the organization days before his death, speaking with 49ers rookies on Thursday alongside other former players. His final hours also included service, according to Scott Wagers, a pastor and founder of Community Homeless Alliance Ministries, who said Smith volunteered Saturday to help bring food to unhoused people.
Wagers wrote that he had not met Smith before that day and described him as “gracious and humble.”
The 49ers said Smith’s “undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization,” while also remembering “his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into.”
Smith’s career took off after the 49ers selected him seventh overall out of Missouri in 2011, and he recorded 14 sacks as a rookie. One year later, he set the franchise’s single-season record with 19 1/2 sacks and earned All-Pro honors.