Former NFL star Aldon Smith’s brain to be donated for CTE research after death at 36

• Player died suddenly after charity work on Saturday

• Off-field incidents, suspensions affected his career

• 49ers statement: His smile lit up every room'

The family of former NFL star Aldon Smith is donating the player's brain to the Boston University CTE Center to research the effects of repetitive brain injuries.

The 36-year-old died suddenly on Saturday, hours after delivering pizzas to a homeless charity in the San Francisco Bay area. No cause of death was given and Smith's family has hired attorneys Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Wayne Kendall to investigate his death.