According to TMZ, the last time former star pass rusher Aldon Smith was spotted was feeding the homeless. That was hours before his sudden death.
Unfortunately, there’s another clip from TMZ where Smith repeatedly said, “I’ve definitely had better days,” at a barbershop. In the video, you got the sense that Smith would’ve elaborated had it not been for the cameras.
We’re going to focus on Smith in a positive light today.
There’s no greater compliment than having two of the best left tackles to play
the sport during the past 15 or so years call you the most difficult pass rusher they ever faced. That happened when Joe Staley was interviewing Trent Williams a couple of years ago.
Both players counted to three before revealing, simultaneously answering “Aldon Smith.” Williams said, “When people ask me that, he’s the first face — not only his name. I just see him in his uniform, from the huddle, side view. Looking five yards, I just see those long arms. That’s what pops in my mind.”
What was your favorite Aldon Smith moment with the 49ers?
Smith had several incredible moments during his NFL career. He had 42 sacks in his first 43 games. As somebody who had to deal with insufferable Chicago Bears fans, watching Smith destroy that offense and the Bears to the tune of 5.5 sacks probably takes the cake for me. Who cares if it was Jason Campbell?
Jay Cutler, Justin Fields, Jim McMahon, or Rex Grossman wouldn’t have had a prayer against Smith that night. It was on Monday Night Football for the whole world to see, which made it better.
The year before at Candlestick, in another primetime game, Smith put on a show as a rookie against the Steelers. He had 2.5 sacks against Ben Roethlisberger in a game where the broadcast joked that Aldon was responsible for the power outages because he was so dominant. One of Smith’s sacks was of the strip variety, thanks to his partner in crime, Justin Smith, gifting the Niners the ball inside the red zone.
That was the game where Smith set the rookie record for sacks for the franchise. During the broadcast, Jon Gruden said, “Aldon Smith is going to the Hall of Fame if this game continues on much longer.”
Teams are still chasing the Aldon prototype of a pass rusher. The long, gangly arms with an incredible first step. As a rookie, Smith sacked Drew Brees and Eli Manning in the playoffs.
In a primetime game against Washington in 2023, he had two sacks against Trent Williams and a handful of other wins against the Hall of Famer to be. Smith was also responsible for an interception that night. He was truly an incredible talent.
What was your favorite moment? Scroll down and let us know in the comments.
