Aldon Smith's Family Sends His Brain To Be Examined For CTE Testing Days After Death At 36

Aldon Smith's family plans to have his brain examined for CTE following the former NFL pass rusher's death at age 36. Three days after his passing, family members announced plans to send brain tissue to Boston for testing that could reveal whether years of punishment on the field left lasting damage.

Medical experts will examine Smith's brain for chronic traumatic encephalopathy and other trauma linked to repeated concussions. According to People, the family has also hired attorneys to investigate circumstances surrounding his death while awaiting official findings.

Hours before his death, Smith spent part of the day helping deliver pizzas to homeless residents in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was later found unresponsive inside a vehicle and pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.

Few defensive players entered the league with greater momentum. Selected seventh overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, Smith quickly became one of football's most feared pass rushers and earned All-Pro recognition during his rise.

Success on Sundays eventually gave way to suspensions, legal troubles, and lengthy absences from the game. What once appeared headed toward superstardom became a career interrupted by setbacks that repeatedly pulled him away from football.

Smith's family believe repeated blows to the head may have contributed to struggles he experienced after his playing days. Sending his brain to a leading research center could help determine whether long-term neurological damage played a role.

CTE can only be confirmed after death through examination of brain tissue. Researchers have spent years studying links between repeated head impacts and changes involving behavior, memory, emotions, and decision making.

Pastor Scott Wagers, who spent time with Smith shortly before his death, described him as tired but friendly. That memory now stands beside an effort to determine whether years of collisions left damage that remained hidden until after his death.