49ers announce death of Aldon Smith at 36, once the fastest player to reach 30 sacks in NFL history
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Former NFL defensive lineman Aldon Smith died Saturday in the Bay Area. He was 36.
Smith played six seasons in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. The Niners originally selected him with the seventh pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
The team confirmed Smith's death Saturday afternoon. No cause of death was given.
"We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith," the 49ers said in a statement. "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."
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Once viewed as one of the league's top young players, Smith's star-crossed career ended in 2020 after one season with the Cowboys.
As a rookie, Smith burst on the scene with 14 sacks and 27 quarterback hits on his way to finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting. He followed with his best NFL season in 2012, posting 19.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits as he earned Pro Bowl and All Pro honors. Those 19.5 sacks still stand as a franchise record for a season.
Aldon Smith played six seasons in the NFL with the 49ers, Raiders and Cowboys after San Francisco drafted him with the seventh pick in the 2011 NFL draft. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
Smith's rapid ascent to NFL stardom was slowed by a series of off-field issues that included 10 arrests in nine years. That included 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.
The NFL suspended Smith for nine games in 2014 for violation of the league's personal conduct and substance abuse policies. On. Aug. 7, 2015, the 49ers released Smith after a third DUI-related arrest. His release came the day after he was arrested on hit-and-run, DUI and vandalism charges.
Smith signed with the Raiders in September 2015, but the league suspended him for a year in November 2015 for again violating the league's substance abuse policy.
Amid suspensions that kept him out of football from 2016 to 2019, Smith appeared in nine games for the Raiders in 2015 and was conditionally reinstated by the NFL in May 2020. He appeared in 16 contests for the Cowboys in 2020. He had 3.5 sacks for the Raiders and five for the Cowboys, with his last one coming against Philadelphia on Nov. 1, 2020.
Smith attempted one more comeback with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 but was arrested on a second-degree battery charge in Louisiana soon after signing with Seattle. The Seahawks waived Smith on Aug. 11, 2021, for what a source described to ESPN's Brady Henderson as an "off-the-field matter."
On the "I Am Athlete" podcast in 2023, Smith announced he was retiring from the game, saying "I'm done with ball."
In 2024, Smith attempted to turn his own struggles into a method for helping young athletes adjust to the pressures and pitfalls of such a high-profile job. He began a project called "I.M. Loading" with the I.M. standing for "Intelligent Movement." The goal was to offer mentorship and recovery coaching for those who had endured similar life challenges. That offseason, he also served as a mentor to the rookie classes of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.
Appearing on Keyshawn Johnson's "All Facts, No Breaks" podcast in June 2024, Smith told Johnson he was hoping his journey could be a cautionary tale for young players trying to make their way.
"I'm grateful for my journey so far because of where I am now," Smith told Johnson. "Just my plan, how I want to interact with the world I'm in and the people I get to meet, I don't think it would have been possible if I didn't have the journey I've had so far."
Smith, who was born on Sept. 25, 1989, in Kansas City, Missouri, played collegiately at Missouri.
NFL closes personal conduct review into WR Stefon Diggs
The NFL has closed its review of wide receiver Stefon Diggs after determining there was insufficient evidence of a personal conduct policy violation, a league official told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday.
The decision comes after the former New England Patriots wideout was found not guilty in May of assaulting his private chef in a pay dispute. Diggs had pleaded not guilty in February to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge stemming from the alleged dispute, leading to the two-day trial.
Matt Bowen
The NFL's ruling marks another step toward the free agent wide receiver landing with a team. Diggs was released by the Patriots in March.
The case had centered on a Dec. 2 encounter at Diggs' home in Dedham, Massachusetts, where Jamila Adams, a former live-in personal chef who is known as Mila, testified that he slapped and choked her during an argument.
Diggs' attorneys said the alleged assault never happened and questioned Adams' credibility and whether the dispute was about money, relationship tensions -- including a disagreement over a planned trip to Miami -- or an alleged assault.
"The evidence has shown what we've maintained from day one: Mr. Diggs was wrongly accused, and this case represents exactly the kind of opportunistic targeting that players can face the moment they step off the field," Mitch Schuster of Meister, Seelig & Schuster said in a statement at the time of the verdict.
Diggs signed a three-year, $69 million contract with New England last year and was a key target for quarterback Drake Maye during the Patriots' AFC East title run. Before joining the Patriots, Diggs was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2015 and played for the Buffalo Bills before a brief stint with the Houston Texans in 2024.
Diggs' 1,000-yard season marked the seventh of his career. It helped complete a successful career revival after a season-ending knee injury derailed what turned out to be a one-year stay with the Texans in 2024.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
'National Emergency' Declared as Trump Administration Officials Are Now Warning Americans To Be Vigilant As Cases Of Parasit...
CDC Confirms 1,645 Cyclospora Cases, More Than 5,100 Others Investigated
A rapidly growing foodborne illness outbreak has expanded far beyond what federal health officials first believed, with thousands of Americans now either confirmed or under investigation for a parasitic infection that can cause weeks of debilitating gastrointestinal illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak has reached a level far exceeding recent years, with investigators now working across dozens of states to determine exactly what is making so many people sick.
The CDC announced Tuesday that 1,645 people have been confirmed to have cyclosporiasis after becoming infected in the United States since May 1, while more than 5,100 additional cases are under investigation.
Combined, health officials are now reviewing more than 7,000 possible cases across the country.
The CDC said confirmed infections have been identified in 34 states, with several separate investigations underway.
A major outbreak centered in Michigan and Ohio has now been epidemiologically linked to cases in West Virginia and Kentucky, suggesting those infections may share a common source.
Federal health officials say the number of confirmed cases is already more than six times higher than it was at this point last year.
If the confirmed and suspected cases are combined, this year’s total is roughly 27 times higher than the same period in 2025.
“This is much, much higher than what we’ve seen last year or the year before,” said Dr. Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases.
“It’s a very big shift.”
The parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis, causes cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness that commonly produces severe watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and loss of appetite.
Symptoms can last for several weeks and often return after initially improving.
According to CDC data, approximately one out of every eleven confirmed patients has required hospitalization.
No deaths have been reported.
Investigators believe at least 400 confirmed cases spanning Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky appear to be connected.
Michigan has emerged as the hardest-hit state, reporting more than 3,300 cases during its investigation.
State officials have interviewed more than 1,000 patients and say the evidence currently points toward lettuce or salad greens as a possible source.
However, investigators emphasized that no specific produce item, grower, supplier or distributor has been identified.
The CDC likewise says multiple investigations remain active and that no single nationwide source has been confirmed.
As concern has grown, Taco Bell announced Tuesday that it is voluntarily removing certain ingredients from menus at select restaurants as a precaution.
The company stressed that public health officials have not linked Taco Bell, any ingredient, supplier or restaurant to the outbreak.
“Public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer,” the company said in a statement.
Cyclosporiasis is generally spread by consuming food or water contaminated with the microscopic parasite rather than through person-to-person contact.
Previous U.S. outbreaks have been traced to fresh produce, including raspberries, cilantro, basil and salad greens.
Federal investigators continue working with state health departments to identify the source of the current outbreak.
Until that source is identified, health officials are urging anyone who develops persistent watery diarrhea or other symptoms consistent with cyclosporiasis to contact a healthcare provider, particularly if symptoms continue for several days or lead to dehydration, CNN reported.
With confirmed cases continuing to climb and thousands more still under investigation, the CDC says the scope of the outbreak remains fluid as investigators work to determine exactly where the contamination originated.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
