Aldon Smith’s family hires civil rights attorneys after player’s death

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The family of former Mizzou defensive lineman Aldon Smith has hired multiple civil rights attorneys after his death was announced on Saturday, according to a Tuesday press release from Wukela Communications

Smith played for the Tigers from 2009-10 and eventually became a top-10 draft pick in 2011 and earned All-Pro honors in the NFL. He died Saturday at 36 years old.

Tuesday’s press release says Smith’s family hired Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall for their attorneys.

The cause of Smith’s death has not been released, though the release says the family’s attorneys are “investigating all of the aspects of this tragedy including the potential role CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) might have played given the numerous concussions Smith suffered throughout his career.” 

“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. 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,” a statement included in the press release says.

Mizzou Football and the San Francisco 49ers each honored Smith on social media after his death was announced.