Remembering Aldon Smith: Former 49ers star dies at age 36

49ers Talk: A San Francisco 49ers Podcast

NBC Sports Bay Area

Football, Matt Maiocco, Sports, Nfl, San Francisco 49ers

4.7 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 June 2026

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS

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Summary

On this episode of "49ers Talk," co-hosts Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan remember former 49ers pass rusher Aldon Smith, who passed away Saturday at the age of 36. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Smith burst onto the scene in San Francisco and holds franchise records that still stand to this day. But just as quickly, Smith fell into turmoil that ultimately would limit his on-field production. Matt and Jennifer look back at a beloved player, teammate and person who captured the hearts of fans in his short time with the organization, and honor the memory of not just the player, but the man.

Transcript

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0:19.9	Tragedy hit the NFL world and the 49ers in particular on Saturday.
0:24.8	Alden Smith, whose rapid assent after getting drafted in 2011, made him one of the most feared
0:30.2	past rushes in the league, passed away. He was just 36 years old. On this episode of 49ers
0:36.7	talk, Jennifer Lee Chan and I will discuss
0:38.9	Alden Smith the player and Alden Smith the man. Welcome to another episode of 49ers talk on
0:45.5	NBC Sports Bay Area.com. Introducing your hosts, Matt Mayoko and Jennifer Lee Chan. Yes, this is
0:53.3	49ers talk, brought you by Big O.
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1:04.1	Your local Big O will find the right tires so you can drive worry free.
1:08.5	All right, I'm Matt.
1:09.5	She's Jennifer, and Jennifer, we have a very, very
1:14.1	sad episode of 49ers talk with the news on Saturday of Alden Smith's passing. Just 36 years old,
1:23.6	just way too early for a guy who was really admired by a lot of foreigners faithful.
1:30.9	The messages I've seen over the Internet from players and fans alike have been, you know,
1:36.4	just it's tragic.
1:38.1	36 years old is, is way too young.
1:39.9	It is.
1:41.3	And, you know, Alden, you know, his football career was just, I mean, he was so freaking dominant and, you know, got off to the kind of career start that very much put him on a path to being one of the all-time greats. And, of course, you know, he battle his demons.
2:04.0	It's something that he talked about a lot.
	...

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