The beginnings of a brilliant career can easily be blindsided by legal troubles. Just ask any celebrity who has seen their stars fade and even fall after legal problems. The same can happen to athletes. Going from the seventh overall draft pick by the NFL to being indefinitely suspended can certainly derail a career. The Sporting News reports on the timeline that brought about Aldon Smith’s indefinite suspension from the NFL.
28-year-old Aldon Smith was once an All-Pro selection that recorded 19.5 sacks for the San Francisco 49ers. That was 2012. Smith has not played in the NFL since 2015 due to a string of legal issues that have plagued the player.
What follows is a partial timeline that led to the downfall of the former player whose career once shone with brilliance.
On Jan. 29, 2012, Smith is arrested on suspicion of DUI in Miami, Florida. The charge is eventually reduced to reckless driving after Smith completed a program for first-time offenders.
On September 20, 2013, Smith is involved in a single-car accident and is arrested on charges of suspicion of DUI and on marijuana possession. He voluntarily enters a rehab facility.
Smith voluntarily surrenders to authorities on October 29, 2013, to face charges of felony weapons possession relating to an incident at a June 30, 2012, house party where the player was stabbed twice. He pleads not guilty to the charges on November 12trh.
After becoming agitated after being selected to undergo a second TSA screening, Smith is arrested on charges of making a false bomb threat at Los Angeles International Airport on April 14, 2014.
The 49ers suspend Smith for the start of the 2014 season.
On May 21, 2014, Smith pleads no contest to the 2013 felony weapons charges.
On August 7, 2015, Smith is arrested on charges of suspicion of DUI, hit-and-run, and vandalism. He is released by the 49ers just hours later.
Smith was then picked up by the Raiders and suspended by the NFL for one year. Smith requested reinstatement but was denied by the NFL. He is currently facing charges related to domestic violence and as of March 6, 2018, was in custody for $30,000 bond.
