“Justice will be served,” Smith told San Francisco’s KTVU. I need to speak, and I want everybody to understand, this wasn’t DUI. The situation that happened could have been handled differently.
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During the 2013 training camp, Smith made waves with his boastful attitude. It was also the end of his career with the 49ers, who released the former first-round pick mere hours after his arrest. In July 2014, Smith was sentenced to 11 days of work release for that DUI in Santa Clara.
Clarke said that Smith was attempting to park his SUV and, in the process, rear ended a smaller compact vehicle inside a parking garage inside the gated complex. Clarke said Smith talked to the owner of the other vehicle and left.
Upon returning to the area, officers contacted him and administered a sobriety test. He appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
Santa Clara police arrested Smith, and accused him of drunken driving, hit and run and vandalism.
In the LAX incident, Los Angeles city prosecutors declined to file charges against Smith. The 49ers did pledge to help Smith in getting his life back on track, but will not be further discussing football with him.
In his four years with the 49ers, Smith became one of the NFL’s top pass rushers. Now the 49ers will most likely look to Ahmad Brooks to replace his production however it will be hard to replace a guy who can get 44 sacks in 50 games.
Baalke and Tomsula informed Smith of the decision at team headquarters Friday after he left jail.
“It’s a sad day”, Tomsula said. “This day that doesn’t have anything to do with football”, said Tomsula.
The 49ers play their home games in Santa Clara, south of San Francisco, at Levi’s Stadium.
“He won’t have to walk this path alone”, Tomsula said. Tomsula spoke to a couple of players but planned a team meeting Friday afternoon. It was reported by ESPN’s NFL Writer Jim Trotter that Smith didn’t take responsibility for his arrest which led to his release from the team. We expect him to have a very good year. “Deeply”. They restructured his 2015 contract in March so that his $9.75 million salary would have to be earned incrementally. Smith’s replacement probably will be Aaron Lynch or Ahmad Brooks.
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Smith was suspended for the first nine games of last season for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct and substance-abuse policies in August 2014. Now it seems Smith is on his way to becoming a journeymen football player at best. “He’s growing up, he’s maturing”.
