Family of Aldon Smith send former NFL player’s brain for CTE testing
The family of former NFL defensive lineman Aldon Smith will send his brain to medical experts in Boston to be examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) following his sudden death at the age of 36.
Smith passed away on Saturday, just hours after delivering pizzas for a homeless charity.
No official cause of death has been determined, prompting his relatives to hire attorneys to investigate the circumstances surrounding his passing.
According to his family, the former San Francisco 49ers star suffered numerous concussions during a turbulent professional career.
Investigating a sudden tragedy
Legal representatives for the family confirmed they are taking multiple steps to understand the fatal incident.
“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.”
CTE is a degenerative brain disease frequently discovered in contact sport athletes and military veterans exposed to repetitive head trauma.
The condition, which can only be diagnosed posthumously, is known to trigger severe depression, violent mood swings and impulsive behaviour.
Rapid rise and off-field struggles
The formidable pass rusher burst onto the scene as a rookie, recording 14 sacks and finishing second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
He followed up with a spectacular 2012 campaign, registering 19.5 sacks to earn All-Pro honours while setting a franchise record that still stands today.
However, the 36-year-old’s ascent to superstardom was derailed by severe off-field issues, including 10 arrests over a nine-year period.
These legal troubles involved multiple driving under the influence charges and an October 2013 arrest for felony possession of illegal assault weapons.
Suspensions and final comeback
The NFL suspended the disruptive defender for nine games in 2014 for violating the league’s personal conduct and substance abuse policies.
San Francisco released their highly-touted pass rusher in August 2015 following a third DUI-related arrest.
Despite subsequent stints with the Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, continued policy violations kept him out of professional football entirely between 2016 and 2019.
He made a final comeback with Dallas in 2020, appearing in 16 contests and recording five sacks before his career concluded.