Former NFL pass rusher Aldon Smith spent time on what would be the final day of his life donating food to a charity that feeds the homeless.

The San Francisco 49ers announced on Saturday that Smith, who played in 50 games during his six-year career, died at the age of 36. Just hours before he was found unresponsive, Smith unexpectedly dropped off 10 pizzas to CHAM Deliverance Ministry, a San Jose, Calif., charity that feeds the homeless.

Amir Shirazi, a friend of Smith’s who picked up on Saturday to make the surprise delivery, spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle about the charitable donation before sharing the details of finding him unresponsive in his car.

Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers waits between drills at the team’s first training camp practice Thursday afternoon, July 24, 2014, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Karl Mondon/MediaNews Group/Mercury News via Getty Images)

49ERS ANNOUNCE DEATH OF ALDON SMITH AT 36, ONCE THE FASTEST PLAYER TO REACH 30 SACKS IN NFL HISTORY

“He was a very sweet, caring, loving giant,” Shirazi said. “That if you really knew him, you’d know who he truly is.”

After dropping off the pizzas, Shirazi drove them to a grocery store and then back to his home. He explained to the outlet that he quickly ran inside to turn on some lights, and when he returned to the car, Smith was slumped over in his seat.

San Francisco 49ers Aldon Smith runs during practice at the 49ers training facility in Santa Clara, on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014. (LiPo Ching/MediaNews Group/Mercury News via Getty Images)

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“I came out and he was basically dead in my front seat,” Shirazi said. “I’m just in shock.”

While Smith has a history of substance abuse, Shirazi said that he had not seen the former NFL player use drugs on Saturday and had only seen him smoke marijuana occasionally over the years. He said he believed that Smith’s death was a “natural death.”

“My impression was that this is a young man that wanted to help the homeless, which was great,” Scott Wagers, the co-founder of CHAM Deliverance Ministry, told the outlet. “When the 49ers and people like that want to help the community, that’s everything.”

Aldon Smith of the San Francisco 49ers suits up for the team’s first training camp practice Thursday afternoon, July 24, 2014, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) (Photo by Karl Mondon/MediaNews Group/Mercury News via Getty Images) ((Photo by Karl Mondon/MediaNews Group/Mercury News via Getty Images))

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Smith was drafted seventh overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Missouri, and made an immediate impact as a rookie, picking up 14.0 sacks and forcing two fumbles in 16 games. The next year he set a 49ers’ franchise record with 19.5 sacks and was named a First-Team All-Pro while leading the team to Super Bowl XLVII.

Smith reached 30 career sacks in just 27 games, making him the fastest player in NFL history to do so, breaking a record previously held by Hall of Famer Reggie White.

In 2013, Smith voluntarily entered rehab and missed five games. In 2014, he served a nine-game suspension for violations of the NFL’s substance abuse and personal conduct policies.

In 2015, the 49ers released Smith in August following his third DUI arrest before he was signed weeks later by the Oakland Raiders.

Smith remained indefinitely suspended from the NFL for four full seasons while dealing with legal and personal troubles. He made a return in 2020 and played a full season with the Dallas Cowboys, starting in all 16 games.

No champion is easily deterred, and Tron Bolt, guided by the exceptional riding skills of James McDonald, proved this point by clinching victory in the Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes (1600m) at Eagle Farm. This monumental win also saw McDonald eclipse Malcolm Johnston’s long-standing record for the most group one winners in a single Australian season.

McDonald’s tally of 141 group one winners places him in elite company, and achieving 17 victories in the 2025/26 season establishes a new all-time record.

“I feel very humbled and privileged to be in this position,” McDonald stated. “To ride horses like that who give me great rides, I thought he was exceptional today. It is nice to stand alone.”

The Chris Waller-trained Tron Bolt ($1.80 favourite) demonstrated grit, pushing back the challenge from Cormier ($11), ridden by Aaron Bullock, to win by a length. Waller’s other contender, Stormy Marco ($14), secured the third position.

“You’d think that James McDonald would hand up just one group one, wouldn’t you,” Bullock commented humorously after the race.

This success marks the fourth occasion the Waller stable has claimed the JJ Atkins, following victories by Pressday in 2010, Press Statement in 2015, and The Autumn Sun in 2018.

The Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) is now being considered as a principal spring target for Tron Bolt.

“With (stud) values, you always try and win something shorter like a Golden Rose at our home track,” Waller added. “We try and use the Golden Rose as a steppingstone to either a Coolmore Stud Stakes up the (Flemington) straight, but for this horse’s example it would be more a Caulfield Guineas.”

McDonald, who also captured the Atkins aboard Broadsiding in 2024, offered his perspective on the distinctions between the two colts.

“Broadsiding was a bit spunkier,” McDonald recalled. “He was the real deal. This one, he’s a bit sleepy but he’s alive when you really want him to and that is the great thing about this horse. You can put him to sleep. He does what he needs to do and he’ll wake up.

“A little bit chalk and cheese but he’ll reach great heights, this horse. A bit of furnishing to do but he’ll come on immensely. He’s very adaptable and he’s got a bright future.”

Looking to get involved with the racing action? Discover the best betting sites for the upcoming races.

FIRST ON FOX: A New York family has filed a lawsuit against a Christian school, the Archdiocese of New York and a former soccer coach, alleging that their teenage son was injured after school officials failed to supervise students before a high school athletic event.

The lawsuit also included allegations that the student who was injured was the one who was punished, for allegedly using a racial slur.

The complaint, filed in New York Supreme Court in Dutchess County, was brought by S.O. on behalf of his minor child, L.O., a student and soccer player at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie. The suit names the school, the Archdiocese of New York and a former coach as defendants.

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According to the complaint, the case stems from a Sept. 19, 2025, alleged. incident involving L.O. and another member of the school’s soccer team. The complaint alleges the teammate grabbed L.O. and slammed him onto a patch of concrete, causing abrasions to his arm, back and hip, and the coach was not present during the incident.

After the incident, the coach allegedly questioned the team but did not speak with L.O. outside the presence of the other player, according to the complaint. The filing says the coach focused on L.O.’s statement that, if he was a “camel,” the other player was an “ape,” which the coach allegedly interpreted as a racial slur. The coach then allegedly ordered L.O. to turn his jersey inside out and benched him for the rest of warmups and the game.

The complaint alleges that the coach did not assess L.O. for injuries or ask whether he was okay, despite being told that he had been hurt.

The coach was later terminated by the school, according to multiple reports.

The filing says L.O. and his parents did not request Cancro’s termination and alleges that the decision was made solely by the school and/or the Archdiocese.

NEW YORK GIRLS’ BASKETBALL COACH CITED FOR HARASSMENT AFTER PULLING PLAYER’S HAIR DURING STATE FINAL

A lawsuit was filed in New York. (Getty Images)

The lawsuit further alleges that, after Cancro’s termination, L.O. and his parents became the target of hostility from team members, parents and coaches.

The lawsuit asserts one cause of action: negligent supervision. It alleges that the school, Archdiocese and Cancro had a duty to supervise students during the athletic event and breached that duty by failing to ensure an adult was present before and during the altercation.

The family seeks damages for physical injuries, emotional distress, psychological harm, humiliation, property damage and other monetary losses, along with costs and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

The attorney representing the plaintiffs, Kimberly Lau of the firm Offit Kurman, has provided a statement to Fox News Digital.

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A soccer ball sits on the field before the Division III men’s soccer championship at UNC Greensboro Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, N.C., on Dec. 2, 2017. (Grant Halverson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

“Context matters. A child was hurt on school grounds during a time when supervision was required. We hope that the school can work with the family to restore a positive school environment for him and ensure all students are protected in the future,” Lau said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Our Lady of Lourdes High School and the Archdiocese of New York.

Manuel Neuer will be taking to the field as goalkeeper in Germany’s first 2026 World Cup match against Curacao on Sunday, coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Saturday. 

“All the players are fit and Manu will start,” Nagelsmann said at his pre-match press conference.

Neuer brought out of national retirement

The match in Houston in the US state of Texas will be the 40-year-old goalkeeper’s first appearance for Germany in nearly two years.

He has been brought out of international retirement after he helped Bayern win the Bundesliga title and reach the Champions League semi-finals this season.

A calf injury kept Neuer out of recent warm-up friendlies against Finland and the US, both won by Germany.

Germany seeking ‘perfect performance’ against Curacao

Nagelsmann said Germany would be striving for excellence in the match against Curacao, which is taking part in its first World Cup.

The Curacao players “are all well-trained and can go into the tournament without pressure. That always makes an opponent dangerous,” Nagelsmann said.

“You never win a match just because you’re favorites. We will win a match only if we produce a perfect performance,” he said. 

Follow our Germany live updates for more.

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar

Esteemed trainer Robert Garcia has offered his expert opinion on a potential clash between Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney, who have verbally agreed to meet at a catchweight of 144lbs.

The two American stars are both rumoured to be joining Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, seemingly with a view to collide under the promotional banner.

While nothing is confirmed, the pair have been going back-and-forth on social media, with Haney verbally agreeing to travel 3lbs below his preferred fighting weight.

‘The Dream’ claimed his WBO welterweight title in November, becoming a three-division world champion by dethroning and unanimously outpointing Brian Norman Jr.

It was confirmed by the WBO earlier this week, however, that Haney would be stripped of his belt if he ends up facing Stevenson at a 144lb catchweight because the 27-year-old has been ordered to face mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis.

If they do ultimately square off at 144lbs, though, top trainer Garcia has told Fight Hub TV that he would favour the WBO super-lightweight champion by the slightest of margins.

“Honestly, I think it’s a great matchup for both. They both fight very smart – they don’t make [many] mistakes.

“The first one that makes a mistake, the other one is going to take advantage of it. It’s a tough fight. By a very slight difference, I probably think Shakur [would win]. He’s too smart.

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“What I like about Haney is that he’s the one willing to take that chance. He’d be willing to take that risk, and that’s where I think Shakur takes advantage [of his mistake].”

Stevenson became a four-division world champion by dethroning Teofimo Lopez in January, claiming a wide unanimous decision victory in his first outing at 140lbs.

The 28-year-old is therefore reluctant to face Haney at 147lbs, where his opponent would boast a significant size advantage.

FIFA has issued World Cup accreditation to French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has confirmed, praising a “strong show of support” from world football’s governing body ahead of the World Cup which kicks off on Thursday.

The freelance reporter was handed a seven-year prison sentence in Algeria last year over an interview with a football official accused of ties to a banned separatist movement.

The FIFA accreditation authorises Gleizes to cover the entire World Cup, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, for the French magazine So Foot.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: The full match schedule

The move “is a reminder that the rightful place of this sports journalist and football specialist is not in prison, but in the stadiums and behind the scenes of this major global competition”, RSF head Thibaut Bruttin said in a statement.

Based in Paris, RSF is a prominent media freedom advocacy group and coordinates a support committee for Gleizes.

Gleize’s parents, Sylvie and Francis Godard, expressed their “gratitude” to FIFA in a statement. They also reiterated their appeal for “clemency” from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, adding: “This never-ending situation has left us devastated”.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino kept an empty seat for the jailed reporter during his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday, in a further gesture of support.

Infantino said he hoped that Gleizes, “the only sports journalist currently imprisoned in the world”, would be pardoned by the Algerian president and “even be able to join us during the World Cup”.

Hopes for Independence Day pardon

The 37-year-old reporter was arrested in May 2024 while travelling to northeastern Algeria’s Kabylie region to write about the country’s most decorated football club, JSK.

He was sentenced in June last year to seven years in jail for “glorifying terrorism” after he was earlier convicted of having contact with members of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylie (MAK), a foreign-based group that Algiers has designated a terrorist organisation.

The Godards visited Gleizes in detention last week, telling AFP he was “being treated well but feels increasingly isolated from the outside world”.

His prison sentence, handed down at the height of a diplomatic crisis between France and Algeria, was upheld on appeal in December.

In March, Gleizes withdrew an appeal to the Supreme Court, in the hope of paving the way for a presidential pardon.

The path was further cleared on June 3 when the journalist’s lawyers announced that Algeria’s highest court of appeal had rejected an appeal from prosecutors for a tougher sentence, removing the last obstacle to a possible pardon.

Algeria traditionally issues pardons during major religious and national holidays, including on July 5, the day marking the independence of the North African country from French colonial rule in 1962.

(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)