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Kurtenbach: Aldon Smith is not a redemption story… yet

I knew Aldon Smith when we were both at the University of Missouri.

When he was a teenager who didn’t know that he was superhuman.

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When he wore a perpetual smile and constantly aimed to please.I never met the Aldon Smith that played in the NFL. To this day, I’m glad I didn’t.

Something changed in those years with the 49ers and Raiders, where drug use and mental struggles overwhelmed even the most undeniable talents. It overwhelmed what I continue to believe is the real Aldon Smith.

But after four years away, Smith is back in the NFL, having agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys Wednesday.