Aldon Smith joins Dallas Cowboys two years after low point of sleeping under his car
From sleeping under a car two years ago to signing with the Dallas Cowboys last week, the journey from his lowest point to having a chance to return to the NFL has been simply “surreal,” says defensive end Aldon Smith.
Smith spoke publicly to Fox Sports late Thursday for the first time since signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys last week that could earn him up to $4 million if he hits all his incentives — one of which is recording 14 sacks — in 2020.
The latter would seem to be a lot to ask of Smith, who has been out of the league since being placed on an indefinite suspension in 2015 after repeated violations of the substance policy and the personal conduct policy.
But being in this position at all was once thought of as an unlikely scenario, considering Smith’s battles with sobriety, depression and a litany of legal infractions, ranging from DUIs to domestic violence. Some of the charges date back to 2012.
“The whole thing is surreal,” Smith said in the interview with Fox’s Jay Glazer. “I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet, but it’s just truly amazing and I’m so fortunate it worked out.”
“It gave me a greater appreciation for the game I’ve been blessed to play,” Smith continued when asked about his time away. “I’m just so excited that the Cowboys and the NFL has given me a chance to come back and finish what I started.”
Smith said the low point for him was two years ago when he slept under his car. That’s when he hit rock bottom.
“I would say 2018 was a tough year,” Smith said. “In that year, I was in a really dark place, and I didn’t have a lot of value for how I thought about myself. When I was in a bad spot, it got bad. Pretty bad. I was sleeping under a car for some nights because my sickness took me there. And I had a home to sleep in. But I was in such a dark place that I didn’t see myself deserving anything other than that.”
Smith has reportedly been clean and sober for roughly 10 months. And he says he is in great shape.
The possibility of a return to the field came in January when new Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy visited him at Glazer’s Unbreakable gym in Los Angeles, where Smith had been working out and taking part in the Merging Vets and Players (MVP) program.
Not lost in all this was McCarthy’s hiring of Jim Tomsula as the Cowboys defensive line coach. Tomsula coached Smith while both were with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-15.
“When we met, it seemed like we had known each other,” Smith said of McCarthy’s visit. “That was really important to me because going through this process, I wanted to surround myself with people who I felt that connection with. I felt like he genuinely cares about me and what I’m trying to do. Just me as a man.
“That obviously played a vital role. And Jimmy is there, Jimmy Tomsula. He was my coach when I was in San Francisco, and we had a great relationship there. The pieces fit.”
Smith’s contract is contingent on him officially being reinstated by the NFL. That is expected to happen.
He will receive $90,000 once he is reinstated by the NFL. Thirty days after reinstatement, he will get another $50,000. He will receive $100,000 when he shows up to training camp, another $100,000 after two preseason games and $100,000 at the end of the preseason.
His base salary will be $910,000, but he will get $40,625 every time he is on the active gameday roster, for a possible additional $650,000. Other incentives include $500,000 for eight sacks, $1 million for 10 sacks, $1.5 million for 12 sacks and $2 million for 14 sacks.
The bigger question is can he regain some of his past dominance on the field?
Smith set an NFL record for most sacks during the first two years of a career with 33.5 in 2011 and 2012. He had 42 sacks in his first 43 games.
Anything he contributes will be a plus for the Cowboys who desperately need help at defensive end.
It’s already surreal for Smith, who hopes to use this opportunity and his platform to inspire others who have hit rock bottom.
This story was originally published April 10, 2020 at 5:30 AM.
