Former Mizzou and NFL star Aldon Smith passed away on Saturday at the age of 36 years old.
Smith’s death was confirmed by the San Francisco 49ers, who initially drafted Smith out of Mizzou back in 2011. After the news broke, his former coach with the Tigers, Gary Pinkel, shared a heartfelt message on social media.
Pinkel wrote that he was “heartbroken” to learn of Smith’s passing:
I am heartbroken to hear about Aldon Smith’s passing. He was one of the most naturally gifted players I coached; could change a game at any moment. He was an important part of the Mizzou family, and losing him like this leaves a hole in our hearts.
At his core he was a good kid who cared about his teammates, and I will remember his competitiveness and the joy he brought to the game. My thoughts are with his family and everyone who loved him.
Smith was from Missouri, attending Raytown High School near Kansas City before joining Mizzou’s program during the Pinkel era. He put together two dominant seasons with the Tigers, including a 2009 campaign that saw him rack up 19.5 tackles for loss en route to Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors.
Smith went on to have a dominant start to his NFL career. He was drafted No. 7 overall by the 49ers in the 2011 NFL Draft and recorded a combined 33.5 sacks over his first 2 seasons in the league.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
