Aldon Smith’s family sends brain for CTE testing after sudden death

The family of former NFL defensive end Aldon Smith has retained three lawyers to investigate the circumstances of his death and has sent his brain to medical experts in Boston for examination.

Investigation steps The attorneys said the brain will be checked for CTE as well as other damage from years of concussions and additional trauma. They asked the public to respect the family’s privacy while they process the loss.

Events before death Smith’s friend Amir Shirazi told the San Francisco Chronicle that he and Smith had delivered pizzas to a homeless shelter on Saturday. Shirazi said the two stopped at his house and that, after he went inside briefly, he found Smith unresponsive in the vehicle.