Frankly, I always worried about Aldon Smith.
So, Saturday’s sad news that the former NFL star pass-rusher died unexpectedly at the age of 36 hit hard.
I can’t say I knew Smith well. However, I did cover him when he was with the San Francisco 49ers in 2013-14 and when he was with the Raiders in 2015. Because of both his on-field great ability and his off-field struggles, I wrote about him often and spent a lot of time covering him.
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Smith was not a difficult person to deal with even though his struggles may have suggested otherwise. He was always polite even time I dealt with him. What struck me about him, though, was there always seemed to be a sadness about him. Life seemed heavy for him even when he was playing a game that came so easily to him.
His sadness stuck with me and I guess that’s why I had a soft spot for him. I rooted for him when he made his comeback with the Dallas Cowboys and I winced when news broke of his personal setbacks. I often checked in on him through some in the league who were close with him. I always wanted him to find peace.
So, his death hits hard. Again, I didn’t know him well, but people who did talked about a nice, complex, deep thinker and I believed that about him.
This is what I do know about Aldon Smith — he was a brilliant football player. I am convinced if he was able to control his personal life, he would have ended up the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I don’t write lightly. He was an incredible pass-rusher. His 42 sacks through his first three seasons trailed on Hall of Famers Reggie White and Derrick Thomas in NFL history.
He was elite. And I’m not sure he ever even understood how good he was. It’s so sad Smith’s life was cut short. He deserved more. This is just a gutting loss.
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