Former Raider Aldon Smith Passes Away at Age of 36

Former Raiders defensive lineman Aldon Smith passed away yesterday at the age of 36.

Sep 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Aldon Smith (99) walks off the field after the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The NFL and its fans are mourning the loss of former defensive lineman Aldon Smith. Smith passed away on Saturday at the age of 36.

Aldon Smith Passes Away at Age 36

Smith was part of the National Football League for six seasons. He played for three teams during his career, including the San Francisco 49ers, the Oakland Raiders, and the Dallas Cowboys. He made his presence felt both on and off the field with all those teams. Smith was special on the football field, and he was one of the best when he played. Every team he faced had to game-plan for Smith, and if they did not, he was going to dominate the entire game.

December 20, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith (99) during the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Levi's Stadium. The Chargers defeated the 49ers 38-35. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The 49ers took Smith with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Smith wasted no time letting the NFL know who he was. As a rookie, Smith collected 14 sacks. In his second season, that is when he was at his best, recording 19.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits. In that season, he earned All-Pro Honors and was a Pro Bowler. Smith still has the most sacks in a single season in 49ers history.

After his time with the 49ers, Smith signed with the Oakland Raiders in 2015. He played nine games with the Silver and Black before being out of football until 2020. That is when he signed with the Cowboys. In that time with Dallas, he had five sacks.

Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Aldon Smith (99) during the first quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott R. Galvin-Imagn Images

Smith Went Through Lots of Growth in NFL

“When you guys met me as a 20-year-old, I probably had the worst self-esteem, the worst relationship with myself," Aldon Smith told NBC Sports in 2024. "And to everybody else, they probably wonder how that could be when I was so successful on the field. But I didn't see myself how everybody else saw me. And so I struggled with a lot of things."

“Through my struggles with drinking and all of the different things that I went through, I was able to develop that relationship along the way by all of the times that I was away from ball and went to a treatment center or a therapist."

Dec 20, 2020; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Aldon Smith (58) picks up a fumble against the San Francisco 49ers in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

“It gave me a chance to really work and develop on who I am. I’m so excited to be able to share that because you’ve seen the different stages, and I’m so blessed to be able to have this opportunity to talk about how it felt looking at life through the lens one way and now having a completely different perspective on life and what that shift can do.”