Ex-49ers Star Tells Aldon Smith’s Family That Former Teammate “Should Have A Lot Of Answers” About Their Son’s Death — “I Had Nightmares After Seeing Those Videos”
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Aldon Smith’s family is searching for answers, and a former 49ers teammate believes he knows exactly where they should start looking. Donte Whitner spoke out this week about the day Smith died, pointing investigators toward two men who were reportedly there in his final moments.
Smith passed away on June 13 at age 36, found unresponsive in a vehicle belonging to his friend Amir Shirazi. Shirazi has said Smith appeared fine just an hour before he died. The official cause of death is still pending. That uncertainty is part of why Smith’s family hired a team of lawyers and private investigators to dig into the circumstances surrounding his passing.
Whitner Says Aldon Smith’s Family Should Start With C.J. Spillman
Speaking on The Grit Code Podcast, Whitner said he received disturbing calls and messages from former teammates on the day Smith died.
The day that Aldon died, I received text messages, phone calls, FaceTimes from some of our ex-teammates,” Whitner said. “And some of the shit that I saw was fucking disgusting.
“Now, I’m gonna go ahead and say it. C.J. Spillman called me. Six a.m. Bali time. And he put me on FaceTime, and he was showing me pictures of Aldon slumped over in the front seat. Aldon, laying on the ground in front of the vehicle that he was traveling in . . . with all the shit hooked up to his body, pretty much deceased. And I want to say that it’s disgusting, because if you call me and we barely talk, and it’s circulating around, there’s more than just me that saw those videos and those pictures.
“So, I saw that Aldon’s family is hiring private investigators, lawyers, to investigate what actually happened that day, and I hope that they listen to this so they can understand and know who to contact. First and foremost, C.J. Spillman should have a lot of answers for you. And Anthony Davis as well. Anthony Davis was in the pictures, looking over Aldon. So I want to say that he probably didn’t have anything to do with it, but whoever was there, they had something to do with it.
“And it broke my heart. I really didn’t want to even speak on the subject, but I have to. And knowing me, I have to tell the truth. I have to say what I saw because it’s traumatizing. I had nightmares two nights in a row after seeing those videos, and after seeing those pictures.”
Aldon Smith’s Family Demands Answers
The comments come during an emotional stretch for the football community. Smith’s final hours included a quiet act of generosity. He reportedly spent part of his last day delivering food to a local homeless charity before his death. His family said they plan to donate his brain for CTE research in an effort to understand what happened.
According to Sports Illustrated, Whitner appeared skeptical of Shirazi’s account of that day, though he stopped short of making any direct accusations himself.
Smith was a first-round pick of the 49ers in 2011 and earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors during a standout rookie season. Injuries and off-field issues derailed what once looked like a Hall of Fame trajectory. As his family’s investigation continues, Whitner’s comments may give their legal team a clearer starting point.
