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Former NFL All-Pro DE Aldon Smith dies at 36

November 15, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs with the football against Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Aldon Smith (99) during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn ImagesNovember 15, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs with the football against Oakland Raiders outside linebacker Aldon Smith (99) during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former NFL defensive end Aldon Smith, who quickly made an impact as an All-Pro pass rusher before encountering off-field issues, died on Saturday. He was 36.

The San Francisco 49ers, who selected Smith seventh overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Missouri, confirmed his death on Saturday without providing a cause.

“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the team said in a statement. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”

Smith played his first four seasons for the 49ers and totaled 152 tackles, 44 sacks, 81 quarterback hits, one interception, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one safety in 50 regular-season games (30 starts). He added another 20 tackles and 5.5 sacks in eight playoff games (six starts) for San Francisco.

His 14 sacks in 2011 were the second-most by a rookie in one season since sacks became an official statistic in 1982, per the team. Smith’s 19.5 sacks in 2012 set a franchise single-season mark and his 33.5 total from 2011-12 are the most by any player in his first two NFL seasons, per the team.

Smith made the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2011 and was selected to the Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro in 2012.

Smith was suspended nine games in 2014 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The 49ers released him in August 2015 after a DUI arrest.

He was arrested 10 times in nine years for a series of incidents, per an ESPN report on Saturday, including an arrest for three felony charges of possessing illegal assault weapons in October 2013.

Smith played nine games (seven starts) for the Oakland Raiders in 2015 before the league suspended him indefinitely for another violation of its substance abuse policy.

After missing the entire 2016 and 2017 campaigns, the Raiders released him in March 2018 after an arrest for domestic violence.

The NFL suspended him in April 2020 when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys and he was reinstated from the suspension that May. He played 16 games (all starts) for the Cowboys in 2020.

The Seattle Seahawks signed him in April 2021 and released him that August.

His career totals were 228 tackles, 52.5 sacks, one interception, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one safety and 103 QB hits in 75 regular-season games (53 starts).

ESPN reported that Smith announced his retirement from the NFL in 2023, and the next year he began a project mentoring young athletes on dealing with the pressures and distractions of being a professional athlete. He also mentored the rookie classes of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.

Smith, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, played two seasons at Missouri and totaled 79 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in 23 games from 2009-10. He was a first-team All-Big 12 Conference pick and the team’s defensive lineman of the year in 2010.

–Field Level Media

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Golden Knights C William Karlsson ruled out for Game 6

Jun 11, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) warms up before game five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn ImagesJun 11, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson (71) warms up before game five of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson has been ruled out of Sunday’s Game 6 of the Stanley Cup finals due to a left arm injury.

Karlsson sustained the injury Thursday during a 4-2 loss in Game 5 to the host Carolina Hurricanes.

Karlsson was injured in the second period when he took a hard hit from Carolina defenseman Sean Walker. Karlsson’s left arm smacked into the glass and trainers were later working on him before he left the arena to undergo tests.

Vegas coach John Tortorella declined Saturday to weigh in on whether or not Karlsson would be available for a possible Game 7 in Raleigh, N.C., on Wednesday.

Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner, who plays on the same line as Karlsson, is disappointed with the timing of the injury.

“It’s obviously a big miss,” Marner told reporters after the morning skate on Saturday. “He’s done a lot of great things for us since he’s been back. But we’ve done this all year. We’ve had a lot of injuries throughout the year, throughout playoffs. So obviously it sucks losing Will, but it’s a ‘next-man-up’ mentality.”

Karlsson, 33, has three goals and nine points in 15 playoff games. He played in just 14 regular-season games after sustaining a lower-body injury on Nov. 8.

Karlsson has played with Vegas for all nine seasons that the franchise has been in the NHL. In 569 games for Vegas, Karlsson has amassed 403 points (165 goals, 238 assists). He has added 80 points (34 goals, 46 assists) in 121 playoff appearances for the Golden Knights.

Karlsson also played with the Anaheim Ducks (2014-15) and Columbus Blue Jackets (2015-17).

–Field Level Media

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Jackson Suber holds one-shot lead at RBC Canadian Open

Jun 13, 2026; Caledon, Ontario, CAN;  Jackson Suber hits his tee shot at the second hole during the third round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn ImagesJun 13, 2026; Caledon, Ontario, CAN; Jackson Suber hits his tee shot at the second hole during the third round of the RBC Canadian Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Jackson Suber birdied the final hole to post a 4-under-par 66 and take the lead through the third round of the RBC Canadian Open on Saturday during what became an evolving leaderboard at Caledon, Ontario.

Suber is at 13-under 197, one stroke ahead of Bud Cauley, who also recorded 66, going into Sunday’s final round at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley-North Course.

Wyndham Clark (63), Brice Garrett (67), England’s Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Sweden’s Jesper Svensson (68) are tied for third place at 11 under.

Suber, who’s without a PGA Tour victory, was bogey-free until No. 16, but got that back on the final hole for his second 66 of the tournament sandwiched around Friday’s 65.

Cauley had a five-hole stretch on the backside with four birdies, including three in a row.

Svensson, bidding for his first victory on the PGA Tour, held the lead until a double-bogey on the 17th hole. He began the backside with three consecutive birdies.

Defending champion Ryan Fox (68) of New Zealand, Billy Horschel (64), Jimmy Stanger (68), Sam Burns (69) and Canada’s Sudarshan Yellamaraju (65) are clustered in seventh place at 10 under. Burns, contending for the second week in a row, was in Saturday’s final pairing and ended the round with a birdie.

Second-round Ben James, in his first professional tournament, shot 78 and tumbled all the way to a tie for 59th place at 2 over James, a 23-year-old former collegiate golfer for Virginia, had five consecutive bogeys on the front side and was 7 over for the round before his only birdie on No. 15.

Clark, Yellamaraju. Fleetwood, Svensson, Keith Mitchell and England’s David Skinns all reached 10 under to pull even atop the leaderboard before James began his round.

Norway’s Viktor Hovland made a big push as well, shooting 64, though his lone bogey came on No. 18 when he took a penalty before reaching the green. He is tied for 12th at 9 under.

–Field Level Media

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Noelvi Marte's 8th inning solo HR lifts Reds over Diamondbacks

Jun 13, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder (25) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn ImagesJun 13, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder (25) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Noelvi Marte blasted a tie-breaking solo home run in the eighth and the Cincinnati Reds held on for a 2-1 win against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon in the second game of their three-game series.

Juan Morillo (1-3) replaced Diamondbacks starter Michael Soroka to start the eighth and served up Marte’s second home run of the season to left-center field with one out to break the 1-1 tie.

Cincinnati starter Rhett Lowder went 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run and five hits while striking out six and walking two.

Caleb Ferguson and Chase Petty (1-1) combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief before Tony Santillan closed in the ninth for his third save.

The Reds had dropped seven of eight.

Soroka allowed one run and two hits in seven innings. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter, retiring the final 13 batters he faced.

Corbin Carroll homered and singled, and Ketel Marte and Gabriel Moreno also had two hits each for the Diamondbacks, who won the series opener 5-2 on Friday night, but stranded 12 runners and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Saturday.

Carroll was the second batter of the game and he drove the first pitch he saw from Lowder into the seats in right field for his 12th home run of the season and a 1-0 lead.

Matt McLain delivered Cincinnati’s first hit when he doubled down the left-field line with two outs in the third and then came home on a line-drive single to right by Edwin Arroyo to tie it 1-1.

Arizona put its leadoff batter on base in the second and third innings off Lowder, but couldn’t capitalize.

The Diamondbacks also had runners on second and third with two outs in the fifth before Nolan Arenado grounded back to Lowder to end the threat.

They loaded the bases with one out for Arenado in the seventh and he struck out on three pitches off Petty. Pavin Smith then flew out to right to end that threat.

Cincinnati only managed four baserunners in the game and fanned ten times.

–Field Level Media

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