Former All-Pro linebacker Aldon Smith dies at 36

Smith's career was significantly impacted by numerous off-field issues, including 10 arrests over a nine-year period. Despite his on-field success, including 14 sacks as a rookie and a franchise-record 19.5 sacks in his second season, Smith revealed in his final published interviews that he struggled with self-doubt.

Speaking with celebrity barber Tavion "Tee" Maultsby, Smith confessed, "I never thought I was good enough." He explained that external validation often drove him, stating, "My head was always so in the place of the external needed to be happy with me." He also expressed a lack of interest in traditional post-football careers, such as coaching or being an analyst, noting, "It's just not something that I had interest in."