Aldon Jacarus Smith, born September 25, 1989, in Greenwood, Mississippi, emerged as a football prodigy at Raytown High School in Missouri. Playing for the Missouri Tigers in college, he showcased versatility as a defensive and offensive player. Drafted seventh overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 NFL Draft, Smith quickly became a standout outside linebacker. In 2012, he earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, setting a 49ers single-season sack record with 19.5. His 33.5 sacks in his first two seasons marked him as a generational talent, often compared to Von Miller. However, off-field issues overshadowed his career, leading to multiple arrests and suspensions.
Details of the Arrest
Smith’s legal troubles began on January 28, 2012, with a DUI arrest in Miami Beach, Florida. The charge was reduced to reckless driving after he completed a first-time offender program. On June 30, 2012, he was stabbed while breaking up a fight at a party at his Santa Clara County home, where two others were shot. This incident led to three felony charges for illegal possession of assault weapons in October 2013, later reduced to misdemeanors. On September 20, 2013, Smith was arrested for DUI and marijuana possession after a single-vehicle accident in San Jose. He voluntarily entered rehab, and the 49ers placed him on the non-football injury list. In April 2014, he was detained at Los Angeles International Airport for falsely claiming he had a bomb, though no charges were filed. On August 6, 2015, another arrest for DUI, hit-and-run, and vandalism in Santa Clara led to his release from the 49ers the next day.
Case proceeding
In March 2018, Smith faced serious charges in San Francisco for domestic violence, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, false imprisonment, and vandalism after allegedly attacking his fiancée. He fled the scene but turned himself in on March 6, 2018, and was released on $30,000 bail. Later that month, he violated a court order by contacting the victim, leading to another arrest. In November 2018, he pleaded no contest to false imprisonment and violating a court order, receiving 90 days in jail (served partly in an alcohol treatment facility) and three years of probation. In June 2019, Smith was arrested for DUI in Mission, Kansas, marking his fourth DUI. In April 2021, shortly after signing with the Seattle Seahawks, he faced a second-degree battery charge in Louisiana for allegedly choking a victim unconscious at a coffee shop. He turned himself in, posted $25,000 bond, and was released by the Seahawks in August 2021. On December 6, 2021, Smith was arrested for felony DUI causing injury after rear-ending a truck in Redwood City, California, with a blood-alcohol level of 0.288%. He offered the driver $1,000 to avoid police involvement.
Court Resolution
The 2018 domestic violence case resolved with a plea deal, allowing Smith to serve time in treatment rather than jail. The 2021 Louisiana battery case remains unresolved, with an arraignment scheduled for July 14, 2021, carrying potential penalties of up to eight years in prison and a $2,000 fine. For the 2021 DUI, Smith pleaded no contest in January 2023, receiving a one-year jail sentence (served six months, released October 4, 2023) and five years of probation. The NFL suspended him multiple times, including a nine-game suspension in 2014 and an indefinite suspension in 2015, lifted in 2020. As he played a few games with the Cowboys that season.
Where Are They Now?
As of 2025, Smith, now 35, has retired from football, stating on the
I Am Athlete podcast in October 2023, “I’m done with ball.” He’s been sober since December 2021 and works as a recovery coach and speaker through his company, Intelligent Movement. Living in the Bay Area, he’s planning a documentary and book to share his journey. X posts from 2023 reflect sympathy for his derailed career but praise his sobriety. Smith’s story illustrates how addiction can unravel talent and the importance of structured support for athletes facing legal and personal challenges. His shift to helping others offers hope for redemption.
