Aldon Smith’s family has hired civil rights attorneys after his unexpected death on June 13. The medical examiner says an autopsy is pending, and his lawyers say his brain will be sent to Boston for testing for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, among other pos
The day Aldon Smith died, the 36-year-old had just been delivering pizzas to a charity that supports homeless people—an act of routine that now sits at the center of a painful question: what happened, so suddenly, after a life that had been moving forward.
Smith passed away on June 13. with the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner confirming his death and saying the results of an autopsy are still pending. No cause of death has been determined. but CTE—chronic traumatic encephalopathy—is among the conditions being explored. according to lawyers retained by his family.
The Law Offices of Harry M. Daniels said the firm was hired by Smith’s family following his unexpected passing. In a phone call. the counsel of national civil rights attorneys Harry Daniels. Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall confirmed they have been retained by members of Smith’s family. though the lawyers did not specify what connection the family members had to Smith. Bishop William Barber II is providing spiritual guidance to the family, the release said.
The legal team’s statement acknowledged how quickly speculation has grown. “As with anyone who dies so suddenly at such a young age. we understand that there is a great deal of interest in and speculation about Aldon Smith’s passing and we intend to get to the bottom of it. ” the Law Offices of Harry M. Daniels said. “To that end. we have taken a number of steps including sending his brain to Boston where medical experts will examine it for CTE as well as other damage caused by years of concussions and additional trauma.”.
The firm also asked for privacy while the family processes the loss. “In the meantime we simply ask you to keep Aldon’s family in our prayers and respect their privacy as they struggle to come to grips with this terrible loss.”
CTE is a degenerative brain disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic. The condition is rare and can only be diagnosed during an autopsy. It is not caused by a singular head injury. but by repeated head injuries. typically occurring in contact sports or military combat. As a result, it has been more common among boxers, football players and military veterans.
Because the disease cannot be confirmed until after death, the clinic says it remains unclear how common CTE is among athletes and others who are at risk. There are also no specific symptoms that can be identified solely as a result of CTE. Many symptoms can be connected to other conditions as well.
In patients diagnosed with CTE after autopsy, symptoms have included cognitive, behavioral, mood and movement changes, and those symptoms do not necessarily appear right away. Experts believe they can take years or decades to develop after repeated head trauma.
The Mayo Clinic lists cognitive impairment as trouble thinking and memory loss. along with problems with planning. organizing and carrying out tasks. Behavioral changes include impulsive behavior, aggression, depression or apathy, emotional instability, substance misuse, and suicidal thoughts or behavior. Movement symptoms include trouble with walking and with balance. shaking and slow movement and trouble with speech—known as parkinsonism—as well as gradual loss of control of movements such as walking. speaking. swallowing and breathing. described as motor neuron disease.
There is currently no cure for CTE.
For many families. the question of CTE is inseparable from the wider uncertainty that comes with sudden death and incomplete answers. Smith’s case is now moving along two tracks at once: the medical examiner’s autopsy results remain pending. while the family’s attorneys say Smith’s brain has been sent to Boston for medical experts to examine it for CTE and other damage caused by years of concussions and additional trauma.
The pain isn’t theoretical. NFL history includes multiple players whose brains were later found to show signs of CTE after death or whose families have linked their illnesses to it.
Linebacker Jovan Belcher played for the Chiefs for three full seasons and in 11 more games for Kansas City in a fourth season before he killed his girlfriend and then himself in December 2012. In 2014, ESPN reported that a medical examiner determined Belcher’s brain had signs of CTE.
Defensive back Irv Cross was a two-time Pro Bowler who played in the NFL for nine years. In his rookie season. he earned the nickname “Paper Head” for the sheer number of concussions he suffered in the 1961 season alone. according to a 2018 interview he had with the Philadelphia Inquirer. Cross became the first Black sports analyst on national TV after his career. He was diagnosed with a form of dementia shortly before his death, which he believed could be attributed to CTE. Cross donated his brain to the Boston University CTE center. where it became one of the 345 from former NFL players diagnosed with the disease.
Offensive lineman Conrad Dobler played 10 years in the NFL and appeared in the Pro Bowl for three consecutive years from 1975 to 1977. After he died in February 2023, he donated his brain to Boston University, where he was posthumously diagnosed with CTE.
Wide receiver Chris Henry played for the Cincinnati Bengals for five years—between 2005 and 2009—before his death in December 2009. The wideout fell out of the back of a moving truck during a domestic dispute. and a hit to his head led to his death. Six months later, the Brain Injury Research Institute of West Virginia announced Henry had developed CTE prior to his death.
Tight end Aaron Hernandez played three years for the Patriots starting in 2010. Four years after he was imprisoned for the murder of Odin Lloyd, Hernandez died by suicide in his cell. After his death, Boston University diagnosed the former tight end with CTE. An Aaron Hernandez family lawyer said while announcing his diagnosis that the case of CTE was “the most severe case they had ever seen in someone of Aaron’s age.”.
Wide receiver Vincent Jackson. a former second-round pick by the then-San Diego Chargers in 2005. played 12 years in the NFL and made three Pro Bowls by the time he retired in 2016. He died in 2021 at age 38 from chronic alcohol use. according to a medical examiner. and was diagnosed with CTE by Boston University’s CTE Center.
Offensive lineman Terry Long played his entire eight-year career for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2005—14 years after his final season—he died by suicide by drinking antifreeze shortly after an indictment for arson and fraud charges. His autopsy, performed by neuropathologist and CTE discoverer Bennet Omalu, revealed that he had the degenerative brain disease.
Linebacker Junior Seau’s career spanned nearly three decades. from 1990 to 2009. with major accolades including first-team All-Pro recognition six times. 12 consecutive Pro Bowl seasons and a Walter Payton Man of the Year award. His 20-year career included two Super Bowl appearances: one with the Chargers in Super Bowl 29 and another with the Patriots in Super Bowl 42. Seau died by suicide in 2012. His family donated his brain tissue to the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. and a year later they revealed the NIH had found signs of CTE. He was posthumously enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas finished his nine years with the Denver Broncos ranked second in all-time receiving yards in the team’s history. He won a Super Bowl with Denver after the 2015 season and played four more years with brief tenures with the Houston Texans and New York Jets. He died in December 2021 from what police called a “medical issue” that stemmed from a 2019 car crash. and his brain tested positive for signs of CTE after its donation to Boston University.
Tight end Frank Wycheck was an 11-year NFL veteran with three Pro Bowl nods and membership in the Titans/Oilers Ring of Honor. He was the Titans’ leading receiver for three years. 1999 to 2001. and was the player who threw the famous lateral pass in the “Music City Miracle” play that led Tennessee to a playoff win over the Buffalo Bills. Wycheck died in 2023 after falling and hitting his head. In January 2025, ESPN reported that his family confirmed Wycheck had been diagnosed with CTE after his death.
In Smith’s case. the medical examiner’s autopsy results are still pending. but the family’s legal team says additional testing is already underway through the decision to send his brain to Boston. For a family still trying to understand a loss that came on June 13. the hope—and the fear—is the same: that answers may finally be possible. but only after months of careful examination.
Aldon Smith CTE chronic traumatic encephalopathy autopsy pending Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner brain testing Boston NFL concussion trauma