NFL Star Donte Whitner Makes Shocking Claims About Aldon Smith's Final Hours, Says CJ Spillman 'Should Have A Lot Of Answers'

Former San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner has called for answers following the death of his former teammate Aldon Smith, revealing details that have added fresh questions to an already tragic case. Speaking on his The Grit Code Podcast, Whitner said he received photos and videos from former teammates shortly after Smith's death. He also suggested that people who were reportedly present around the time of the incident could help explain what happened.

Donte Whitner Points To Former Teammates

Whitner described the material he was shown in the hours after Smith's death and said it left him disturbed. “The day that Aldon died, I received text messages, phone calls, FaceTimes from some of our ex-teammates, and some of the s*** that I saw was f****** disgusting,”Whitner said on his The Grit Code Podcast. 

“C.J. Spillman called me… 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… pretty much deceased. 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.”

Spillman, Anthony Davis, Smith and Whitner were all teammates during their time with the 49ers in the early 2010s.

What Is Known About Aldon Smith's Death?

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Smith was found unresponsive in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by Amir Shirazi. The two were reportedly delivering pizzas to a homeless shelter before the incident. Shirazi told the publication that he briefly left the vehicle to switch on lights at his home before continuing the trip. When he returned, Smith was unresponsive. Shirazi has said Smith died of natural causes.

So far, there have been no reports indicating that anyone else was present when the incident occurred. Authorities have also not publicly released additional information about the circumstances surrounding Smith's death.

Family Launches Investigation

Smith's family has since hired attorneys Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. His brain has also reportedly been sent to Boston University's CTE Center for examination. The family's legal team has stated that it intends to get answers about what happened.

Whitner also revealed that he had tried reaching out to Smith earlier this year. “I want to put on here a text message that I sent to Aldon on February 1 saying, ‘Aldon, how are you? Aldon, is this still your number?' Reaching out to Ian Williams (former 49er teammate) and asking Ian, ‘Hey Ian, do you have Aldon's number so that I can reach out to him and see how he was doing?'”

Before his death, Smith had spoken openly about struggles with substance abuse and alcoholism. Once one of the NFL's brightest defensive stars, he recorded 33.5 sacks in his first two seasons before legal and personal issues derailed his career.