Aldon Smith's family sends his brain to Boston experts for CTE examination
Attorneys for the late pass rusher say specialists will study his brain for signs of the degenerative disease and other trauma tied to years of football.
The family of Aldon Smith has decided to send the former NFL defensive lineman's brain to medical experts in Boston, hoping to learn whether chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease known as CTE, played a part in his death. Smith died Saturday at age 36, hours after delivering pizzas to a homeless charity, and no cause of death has been disclosed. The decision was announced by three attorneys representing the family, Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall. They said specialists will examine the brain for CTE as well as other damage caused by years of concussions and additional trauma. As we noted in our coverage of his passing two days ago, Smith was one of the most dominant young pass rushers of his era before personal and legal struggles reshaped the back half of his life.
What did the family's attorneys say?
In a statement, the family's attorneys confirmed that Smith's brain will be sent to medical experts in Boston for study. They said the experts will examine it for CTE as well as other damage caused by years of concussions and additional trauma. "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 attorneys, Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall, said. The statement did not name the specific institution that will receive the brain. It also did not disclose a cause of death, which has not yet been made public. The measured language suggests the family is seeking answers rather than drawing conclusions.
Why can CTE only be confirmed after death?
CTE is a degenerative brain disease associated with athletes in contact sports and others exposed to repetitive head trauma. It has been linked to mood swings, impulsive behavior and depression, among other symptoms. Crucially, it can only be diagnosed after death, through a direct examination of brain tissue. There is currently no validated test to confirm CTE in a living person, which is why families like Smith's choose to donate the brain for study. Boston has become a focal point for this research, and posthumous examination remains the only way to establish a definitive diagnosis. That context matters here: any findings will not arrive quickly, and the process is methodical by design.
How does this connect to Aldon Smith's career?
Smith played six NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, and as we reported in our obituary, he was regarded as one of the most dominant young pass rushers of his generation. He sustained numerous concussions during his career, the kind of repetitive head trauma that researchers associate with CTE. After his early dominance, he faced significant personal and legal struggles before stepping away from the league. The family's request reflects a broader pattern in which relatives of former players seek to understand the long-term toll of football on the brain. Out of respect for Smith and those who knew him, the focus for now remains on the questions the examination may help answer, not on speculation about how he died.
Sources
- ESPN: Family of Aldon Smith having his brain checked for CTE
