06/14/2026
Former NFL pass rusher Aldon Smith died Saturday at the age of 36, just hours after making a charitable food donation to a homeless ministry in California.
According to a close friend, Smith unexpectedly donated 10 pizzas to a local homeless outreach organization in San Jose before later being found unresponsive in a vehicle. Emergency efforts were unsuccessful.
Friend Amir Shirazi described Smith as a caring and generous person, saying the former NFL star wanted to help those in need and had personally arranged the pizza delivery earlier that day.
The charity, CHAM Deliverance Ministry, said Smith's final act reflected a desire to give back to the community. Co-founder Scott Wagers praised the gesture, noting that helping the homeless was clearly important to him.
Smith was selected seventh overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 NFL Draft and quickly became one of football's most dominant young defenders. He recorded 14 sacks as a rookie and followed it with a franchise-record 19.5 sacks in 2012, earning First-Team All-Pro honors.
During his career, Smith also played for the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. He famously became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 30 career sacks, surpassing the previous mark held by Hall of Famer Reggie White.
Despite his on-field success, Smith's career was repeatedly interrupted by legal issues and substance-abuse struggles, leading to multiple suspensions and an extended absence from the league before a comeback in 2020.
The San Francisco 49ers announced his death Saturday. An official cause of death has not yet been released.
Smith is being remembered not only for his remarkable talent on the field but also for a final act of generosity that helped feed people experiencing homelessness.