Aldon Smith’s Family Looks Into Possible CTE Role in Death

Former NFL linebacker Aldon Smith’s family is investigating whether the repeated concussions he suffered during his football career may have contributed to his death.

Smith, who starred for the San Francisco 49ers and later played for several NFL teams, died on June 13 at age 36. An official cause of death has not yet been released.

According to statements obtained by ESPN and The Athletic, Smith’s family believes chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) could have played a role. Attorneys representing the family said they are examining all aspects of Smith’s death and have sent his brain to Boston for testing.

“Like anyone who dies so suddenly at such a young age, there is a great deal of interest and speculation about Aldon Smith’s passing, and we intend to get to the bottom of it,” the attorneys said in a statement.

CTE is a progressive brain disease linked to repeated head trauma and concussions, most commonly associated with contact sports and military service. Smith’s family said he suffered numerous concussions during his NFL career. The condition can only be definitively diagnosed after death through examination of brain tissue.

The family’s legal team said experts will evaluate Smith’s brain for signs of CTE and other trauma-related damage.

The 49ers mourned Smith’s “sudden and tragic passing,” remembering the former first-round draft pick for both his dominance on the field and his infectious personality.

In the hours before his death, Smith volunteered to help deliver pizzas to a homeless charity, according to friend Amir Shirazi. Shirazi later found Smith unresponsive in the passenger seat of his truck and called 911. Smith was pronounced dead at a San Jose hospital about an hour later.