Ex-NFL Player Aldon Smith Dead Days After Admitting To "Struggling"

Former NFL player Aldon Smith has passed away.

According to TMZ, he was found unresponsive inside a truck on Saturday and was later pronounced dead.

He’d spent the day in the Bay Area with a friend named Amir Shirazai, delivering pizza to a homeless outreach organization.

Then things took a tragic turn when Shirazi, who lives in Los Gatos, walked out of his home Saturday morning to find Smith in the front passenger’s seat of his white Chevy truck.

Initially, he thought Smith was sleeping with “his mouth open,” and “slightly twitching,” but quickly knew something was wrong, suggesting it may be a “seizure” or “a massive heart attack.”

Shirazi called 911 and asked former 49ers running back Anthony Dixon to help him perform CPR, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

However, less than an hour later, after being transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, he was declared dead at 36 years old, though the cause of death is still pending.

Smith had a roller-coaster of a football career, beginning with his two-year stint with the Missouri Tigers, which he cut short to enter the NFL draft; the San Francisco 49ers eventually selected him with the seventh overall pick in 2011.

The following year, he was arrested in Miami Beach for driving under the influence, and six months later, he was stabbed when trying to break up a fight at his home in Santa Clara County. He was initially charged with illegal possession of an assault weapon, but the charge was later reduced to misdemeanors.

He was suspected of DUI again in 2013, later voluntarily entered rehab, and the next year, he was arrested for allegedly claiming he was carrying a bomb at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Other legal woes included an alleged hit-and-run under the influence, which was coupled with vandalism charges in 2015, and another similar incident in 2017 after a car accident alongside a friend, though he was later absolved.

He played for the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, but he spent the majority of his NFL career with the 49ers, where he was named First-team All-Pro and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2012.

The 49ers released the following statement after his tragic death:

“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.”

Less than a week ago, Smith was interviewed and admitted that he’d “definitely had better days” and was hesitant when asked to open up.

“I kind of don’t because it’s along the lines of something I think I’ve been dealing with my whole life, and I’m just struggling with accepting how it’s playing out right now.”

See social media’s reaction to his death below.