San Francisco 49ers’ Linebacker Aldon Smith Gets DUI: Fan’s Reaction

In a disturbing development related to the San Francisco 49ers, rookie Aldon Smith was charged with DUI in Miami Beach on Saturday.

Don't be that guy, Aldon.

Don't be the guy who absolutely tears it up on the field, causes opponents headaches, and has all the potential in the world in the palm of your hand only to let stupidity off the field be your downfall.

Stupid actions are what keep guys like me employed as journalists, but I don't want Smith to be one of these guys. He's got too much potential.

I live in southern California, and there are a lot of these guys either still playing in or have been exiled from America's Finest City, San Diego.

Former San Diego Chargers superstar linebacker Shawne Merriman for example, is one of those guys.

Here is someone who came into the league with a chip on his shoulder and put up monstrous numbers, leading the league in 2006 with 17.0 sacks and making three straight Pro Bowls in his first three seasons. After that, a series of bad decisions, including a positive test for steroids and a domestic violence incident, would derail his career.

Vincent Jackson and Antonio Cromartie fill out the list of others who had run-ins with the law as Chargers and whose careers have subsequently suffered, albeit not as badly as Merriman's.

Aldon Smith needs to look no further than his former teammate in 2011, Braylon Edwards, to see just how distractions and legal issues can cost a player valuable steps forward in his career.

The 49ers are going to need his skill set for many years to come if they hope to build any continuity after the 2012 postseason.

Let's just hope for his sake he gets his act together quickly and continues to focus on building a successful career following his rookie campaign.There are a lot of people counting on him.

Michael C. Jones is a Yahoo! Featured Contributor in Sports and follows all developments across the NFL.

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Source

Pro-Football Reference.com

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