Aldon Smith Donated Pizzas to Homeless Charity Hours Before His Death

Former NFL pass rusher Aldon Smith made an unannounced stop at a San Jose, California charity that feeds the homeless on what proved to be the final day of his life, dropping off ten pizzas to CHAM Deliverance Ministry before being found unresponsive hours later. The San Francisco 49ers announced Smith's death on Saturday. He was 36 years old.

Smith's friend Amir Shirazi, who accompanied him on the delivery, described the visit as a spontaneous act of generosity. After leaving the charity, the two stopped at a grocery store before returning to Shirazi's home. When Shirazi came back to the car after briefly going inside, he found Smith unresponsive in the passenger seat. "I came out and he was basically dead in my front seat," Shirazi told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I'm just in shock." Shirazi, who acknowledged Smith had a history of substance abuse, said he had not observed any drug use on that day and described the death as, in his view, a natural one. Scott Wagers, co-founder of CHAM Deliverance Ministry, said Smith's visit reflected a spirit of community engagement. "My impression was that this is a young man that wanted to help the homeless, which was great," Wagers said.

Smith was selected seventh overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Missouri. He recorded 14.0 sacks as a rookie and followed that with 19.5 sacks in his second season, setting a San Francisco 49ers franchise record, earning First-Team All-Pro honors, and helping the team reach Super Bowl XLVII. He reached 30 career sacks in 27 games, at the time the fastest any player had done so in NFL history, surpassing a mark previously held by Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White. Smith played 50 games across a six-year career that included stints with the 49ers, the Oakland Raiders, and, following a four-season absence from the league stemming from legal and personal difficulties, the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he appeared in all 16 games during the 2020 season.

The cause of Smith's death had not been officially confirmed at the time of the 49ers' announcement. Shirazi described him as "a very sweet, caring, loving giant," adding: "That if you really knew him, you'd know who he truly is."