It certainly forced a pause when I scrolled to the San Francisco 49ers' announcement about one of their former greats, defensive end Aldon Smith, shockingly passing away over the weekend; one of those things that'll make you stop and say, "what?"
Gone at age 36. Way too soon.
Smith's legacy, both with the Niners and the greater NFL, is a complicated one. For those fans who watched San Francisco during the early 2010s when the pass-rusher notched 33.5 sacks over the first two years of his career, his talents were undeniable, and those 49ers defenses were downright scary.
Yet the off-field issues were scary, too.
We need not get into those too much. Enough has been said about the alcoholism and off-field incidents that dogged his career, which not only led to his dismissal from the Niners in 2015 but also played a vital role in missing swaths of time with other teams thereafter, including a two-year absence from the league in 2016 and 2017.
What I also won't get into much is how my own late wife passed away in 2018 from the disease of alcoholism.
At least for me, Smith's journey is one I followed a little closer than others.
Aldon Smith's legacy ultimately deserves to be celebrated
Granted, we don't yet know the cause of Smith's tragic passing. What we do know is he was assisting a charity group during his final hours, delivering pizzas to people in need. While it's easy to get caught up in details of his passing or his prior demons, it's more than worthwhile to mention the selfless work he put in off the field, too.
That deserves to be championed.
What also deserves to be championed and remembered about Smith is how he successfully battled his alcoholism. I remember Fox Sports' Jay Glazer sharing his work with the edge rusher when he was temporarily out of the league, culminating in a return with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. Even for San Francisco fans who absolutely hated Dallas, it was impossible not to root for Smith. His career arc was back on track. And Glazer had celebrated his friend's sobriety, too.
Yes, 49ers fans (myself included) had no problem rooting for Cowboys defensive end Aldon Smith, as weird as it sounded.
And it's equally heartbreaking to read Glazer's reaction to his friend's passing:
Absolutely gutted. Beyond gutted to hear the news of the passing of my dude Aldon Smith.
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) June 14, 2026
Can’t believe it. Mannn, just gutting.
I was so damn proud of the journey he and I took together to get him back into the league after being out of the NFL for 4 years. But also the…
"Soooo proud, through the ups and downs, still so proud! And I always will be," Glazer posted on X. "This one definitely hurts."
A few years before his death, Smith opened up about his alcoholism—details about how it took his life over. The fact he emerged from those demons and was able to return to the NFL is amazing in itself, and even after his playing days were over, the fact he continued to do work in the community and help others is equally commendable. Sharing his story unquestionably aided others who were either going through something similar or knew someone who did, myself included.
That's also the legacy that needs to be remembered.
Rest easy, Aldon. And thank you.
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