Former NFL standout Aldon Smith spent his final hours in charitable service, delivering ten pizzas to a San Jose ministry that feeds the homeless before he was found dead at age 36.
A friend, Amir Shirazi, described Smith as a caring figure as they made the surprise delivery to CHAM Deliverance Ministry on Saturday. The tragedy unfolded shortly after when Shirazi discovered Smith slumped over and unresponsive in the front seat of a car.
While Smith had a well-documented history of substance abuse and league suspensions, Shirazi stated he witnessed no drug use that day and believed the death was from natural causes. Scott Wagers, co-founder of the ministry, praised Smith's intent to help the community.
Drafted seventh overall in 2011, Smith burst into the league with 14 sacks as a rookie and set a franchise record with 19.5 sacks in 2012, leading the team to a Super Bowl appearance. He remains the fastest player in NFL history to reach 30 career sacks, achieving the milestone in just 27 games.
His career was derailed by multiple suspensions before a brief return with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020. Smith was 36.