‘Unbelievable': Man who was with Aldon Smith before his death speaks out
A man who was with Aldon Smith in the hours before his death over the weekend said he was stunned when he received the news that the former San Francisco 49ers star had passed.
Smith was found unresponsive in a vehicle in Los Gatos on Saturday. The county medical examiner‘s office is still working to determine a cause of death. Smith was 36.
Before his death, Smith was wearing a New York Knicks jersey when he showed up in San Jose with a friend, Amir Shirazi, to help CHAM Deliverance Ministry distribute food to homeless people. CHAM Pastor Scott Wagers was taken aback.
"You could tell he was an athlete because his size and his presence, but he seemed, like I said, a very humble soul, a gentle soul I would say," Wagers said. "In trying to do something, I could tell, it was just the way he looked, the way he, you know, you get people’s energy when you’re close to them. I just felt like he was just trying to do something with his life."
Hours later, Smith was gone.
"To learn an hour and a half approximately later that he had passed away was unbelievable in a way," Wagers said. "One of those jaw-dropping moments."
Smith was drafted by the 49ers in 2011 and soon became a star, setting teams records and making first-team All-Pro in just his second season.
But Smith publicly acknowledged the spiral that came quickly due to substance abuse, leading to numerous arrests, including for driving under the influence, hit and run and a weapons violation.
Smith ended up leaving the NFL in 2021 and talked often about trying to get his life in order, which included charitable work such as helping the homeless community.
