The family of former NFL star Aldon Smith has hired a trio of civil rights attorneys to look into his shock death at the age of 36.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, Smith’s family announced they have retained Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall. They also revealed they are donating Smith’s brain to the CTE Center in Boston for examination.
The former defensive lineman, who was previously banned from the NFL amid a string of alcohol-related arrests, passed away at the weekend. Smith was dead on arrival at Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, California. No cause of death is yet known.
In a statement, the attorneys said: ‘As with anyone who dies so suddenly at such a young age, we understand that there is a great deal of interest in and speculation about Aldon Smith’s passing and we intend to get to the bottom of it.
‘To that end, we have taken a number of steps including sending his brain to Boston where medical experts will examine it for CTE as well as other damage caused by years of concussions and additional trauma.
‘In the meantime we simply ask you to keep Aldon’s family in our prayers and respect their privacy as they struggle to come to grips with this terrible loss.’
Aldon Smith’s family has hired three civil rights attorneys to look into his shock death at 36
Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers (left) and Wayne Kendall (right) make up the three-man legal team
On Sunday, a close friend of Smith lifted the lid on the tragic final hours before his death.
In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Amir Shirazi revealed that he found Smith slumped over in the front passenger seat of his white Chevy pickup.
In the hours before he died, Smith had been helping deliver pizzas to a homeless charity. In a photo shared on social media – believed to be the last ever taken of him – he can be seen wearing a Knicks NBA jersey and posing for the camera.
Shirazi then drove Smith back to his home in Los Gatos, via a grocery store and a gas station, and then ran inside.
When he returned a few moments later, he found Smith slumped over and immediately called 911, before asking former 49ers running back Anthony Dixon to come and help perform CPR. Less than an hour later, Smith was declared dead in hospital.
Once viewed as one of the most promising young stars in the league, Aldon’s star-crossed career, which featured stints with the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys, ended in 2020.
Smith was drafted by San Francisco with the seventh-overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, going on to start in Super Bowl XLVII with the team. He finished second for the defensive rookie of the year award in 2011, and he was a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2012.
However, his career on the field was blemished by a series of scandals, including 10 arrests in nine years.
Smith is pictured here around an hour before he died, delivering pizzas to a homeless charity
His NFL career was blemished by a series of scandals, including 10 arrests in nine years
Smith turned himself in to police in 2018 after allegedly attacking his then-fiancee
They included no fewer than four arrests since being drafted by the 49ers in 2011, and voluntarily went to a treatment facility in 2013.
Among that string of legal woes was 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.
He was slapped with a nine-game suspension in 2014 while still with the 49ers for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He was later released by the team following yet another arrest that included hit-and-run, DUI and vandalism charges.
At the time of Smith’s release in 2014, defensive line coach Jim Tomsula stressed that he and the 49ers organization would continue to support Smith on his road to recovery, and added a message to everyone else struggling with alcohol and drugs.
‘We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,’ the 49ers said.
‘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.’
