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PLAYER BIO6-4 | 258 | MISSOURI | ROOKIE | BORN 9.25.89 | KANSAS CITY, MOACQUIRED D-1 IN ‘11 | RAYTOWN SENIOR HS, RAYTOWN, MOWith great size and speed, Aldon Smith has the ability to line upat a variety of positions, whether its standing up or with his hand inthe dirt. He is a tenacious pass rusher with great initial quickness.Smith holds the Missouri single-season sack record (11.5 in ‘09),which was previously held by fellow 49er Justin Smith (11.0 in ‘00).// TRANSACTIONSOriginally a 1st-round (7th overall) draft choice by SF in 2011.// GOLDMINE• When Aldon was 10 years old, his parents divorced. Aldon remainedwith his mother, Kimberly, in Iowa as his father moved to KansasCity, but five years later, when his mother moved to Atlanta, hemoved in with his father, Thurston. Until that point, Aldon had neverplayed an organized sport, but that all changed in Kansas City. Hejoined the football and basketball teams at Raytown HS, but onlyunder strict conditions enforced by his father. “He had to make goodgrades, nothing less than a 3.0 GPA,” said Thurston, a former memberof the US Army. “And he had to be responsible and respectful.”As a junior, Aldon resisted his father’s mandate, but everything beganto click for him as senior. “I wasn’t going to bend the rules, andhe knew what the rules were,” Thurston said. “The transition periodwas difficult at first, but we got through it.” Aldon was a star on bothsides of the ball, garnering interested from several big time collegeprograms.• In recent years, Aldon has dabbled in boxing and mixed martial artstraining, both of which he said are helpful with this pass-rush techniqueand mental endurance. “Imagine someone trying to get theirhands on you in a fight,” Aldon said. “It’s just like a tackle trying toget his hands on you. It all translates on how you move your hands.”THE SCOUTING REPORT“You look at the versatility he brings to the table. He’s played inside.He’s played outside. He’s got good quickness off the ball and he hasthose 36-inch arms. You look at the quickness. One thing that I’mlooking for in a defensive player is a guy that can play to the footballwith his eyes. You watch Aldon – you can watch a lot of snaps – andhe rarely takes his eyes off the ball carrier. If you watch him, he’slooking past the blocker. He’s trying to find the football, he’s feelingthe blocker, but just look at his eyes and where they stay. He alsohas some unique flexibility. He can get his body in position that otherguys can’t.” - 49ers General Manger Trent Baalke// COLLEGEPlayed in 23 games (21 starts) and recorded 112 tackles, 17.0 sacks, 2FFs, FR, INT and 7 PDs. His 17.0 career sacks rank t-6th in school historyand in 2009, he set the school’s single-season record with 11.5sacks. In 2010, started all 10 games he played and was a First-TeamAll-Big 12 selection, as well as the recipient of Missouri’s DefensiveLineman of the Year Award. He was also on the watch lists for theBednarik Award (nation’s top defensive player), the Bronko NajurskiTrophy (top defensive player) and the Ted Hendricks Defensive Endof the Year Award. Registered 48 tackles while adding 5.5 sacks, 10TFLs and a FF. As a freshman in 2009, was a Freshman All-Americanselection by the Football Writers Association of America and namedthe Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and Defensive Newcomerof the Year. He was also the recipient of Missouri’s Defensive Linemanof the Year Award and Freshman of the Year Award. Played in13 games (11 starts) and notched 64 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 19 TFLs, FF, FRand 5 PDs. His 11.5 sacks set the school record for most sacks in aseason, surpassing Justin Smith’s 11.0 sacks in 2000. His 19 TFLs setthe Big 12 Conference freshman record, topping Oklahoma’s TommieHarris’ record of 16 TFLs in 2001. He redshirted in 2008.// PERSONAL• Attended Raytown (MO) Senior HS and was a first-team all-stateselection and the recipient of the Raytown’s Defensive Most ValuablePlayer Award. Also a finalist for the Junious “Buck” BuchananMemorial Award for the most outstanding player from the states ofMissouri and Kansas.• As a senior and team captain in 2007, registered 60 tackles, 21 TFLs,and 12.0 sacks, while adding 7 FFs, 1 blocked punt and 1 safety. Added34 recepts. for 570 yds. and 4 TDs as a tight end.• Earned first-team All-Conference honors in basketball as he helplead his team to a 27-1 record.• Born Aldon Jacarus Smith (11/30/89) in Kansas City, MO.• Majored in sociology.TIGER TALK“He’s come in and he hasn’t been like, ‘Hey, I’m the seventh pick’ oranything like that. He hops right in, gets in line and works. ... EverythingI’ve seen he’s just a football guy. He definitely looks the part.I think he’ll do a tremendous job out there. If you’re willing to work,you’re going to have success if you have all the physical attributes.And he definitely has that. I don’t see why he won’t have a greatyear.” - 49ers DT Justin Smith, a former Missouri Tiger, on AldonSmith, who broke his single-season sack record at MissouriSAN FRANCISCO 49ERS \\138// MEDIA GUIDE