UPDATE: 49ers have cut troubled LB Aldon Smith.
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The promising career of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith might be over following an arrest on Thursday in which he is believed to have been driving under the influence. Smith has been charged with DUI, hit-and-run, and vandalism charges.
Smith was released on $26,000 bond Friday morning, according to reports. One 49ers source said there should be no rush to assume the team will cut ties with Smith immediately.
Le'Veon Bell arrested for DUI, marijuana possession
"He [Smith] was on a track and he was making good decisions. But I'll say one thing, there shouldn't be a rush to judgment. We need to figure out what happened and not go into a instant panic. There is usually much more to a story. Let's not overreact and say his career with the 49ers is over just yet."
However, this timeline of events should be an eye-opener.
Bernard Pierce arrested on DUI charges
January 28, 2012: DUI
Smith was 14 sacks into a career as bright as any pass rusher in the NFL when he had his first brush with the law, a DUI arrest.
"We take these issues very seriously, but will reserve further comment at this time, as this is an ongoing legal matter," the team said. "The 49ers will continue to gather the facts and monitor the developments closely."
June 30, 2012: Smith Is Stabbed, Hit With Weapons Charges
Smith threw a house party in June; maybe that was smart since he wouldn’t have the opportunity to drive drunk, but it still ended up being a serious problem. While allegedly breaking up a fight Smith took some stab wounds to his leg. They weren’t serious, and the man responsible was sentenced to three years in jail.
He faced felony weapons charges for possessing three assault weapons—a .308 caliber Armalite AR10-T, a Bushmaster ARC for 5.56mm bullets and a .223 caliber Bushmaster Carbon-15. There was a deal and Smith got the charges reduced. He was sentenced to 11 days in the sheriff's office work program in lieu of jail time, three years of probation, 235 hours of community service and about $3,000 in fines.
Through all that, Smith racked up another 19.5 sacks, which is possibly more infuriating than his constant off-the-field issues.
September 20, 2013: Smith Crashes Vehicle, Arrested For DUI & Marijuana Possession
Smith got into a single-car accident and was found to be under the influence yet again, and in possession of pot. After this incident Smith played that Sunday, and then checked himself into rehab to address his problems. He was expected to be away from the team for about a month, but a source close to him at the time told ESPN "It's not like he's going to be magically cured in a month. If his problem is serious enough, a month might not be enough.".
Smith missed five weeks.
April 13, 2014: Smith Arrested For Making Threats Against A TSA Agent
Smith wound up in the news again, this time for allegedly threatening a TSA agent that he was in possession of a bomb inside an airport. Later the charges were dropped when it couldn’t be clearly proven Smith had brought up a bomb. The NFL suspended Smith nine games for this incident, and was facing felony charges.
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