San Francisco 49ers

Aldon Smith opens up on offseason, off the field issues

Published Jul. 8, 2015 6:30 p.m. ET

foxsports

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith has had a quiet offseason, which is exactly the way he likes it. There has been no mention of his name in the news as he has kept out of trouble.

Smith has had a rough couple of years between suspensions and injuries and hopes this is the year he returns to being one of the most dominant linebackers in the NFL.

Smith was on 790 AM with Dan Le Batard to talk about the 49ers offseason, maturing off the field and the lessons he has learned.

When asked about the various 49ers retirements, Smith had this to say:

"I definitely didn't see it coming, and those guys being close teammates of mine, I didn't want to see them walk away. But I think everybody had their own reason, the situation they were dealing with for walking away. I think just more importantly, I hope they're happy in life in general, and I hope they feel like they made the right decision. And something they won't look back and regret."

Le Batard asked Smith about his past off the field issues, in which Smith responded with:

"Mistakes. Not being where I should have been or doing what I should have been doing. And that makes football harder to deal with and harder to play. And I‘m just happy I have moved past all that, defeated all those odds, and I'm ready to go and show the world what I can do."

Smith continued and said he has learned his lesson from those mistakes.

"I think the lesson I've learned is I'm a football player, and I represent a lot more than just myself. And I have a lot of people that look up to me, and they have a lot of faith in me. It's important that I remember that everywhere I go and all the decisions that I make. And so whether that's going out for some food, or preparing for a season, I understand that I want to be the type of player, and I believe that I'm one of the best players in this league, and it's time for me to show everybody."

To listen to the whole interview and hear Smith talk about his relationship with Charles Haley, his strength as a football player and go more in-depth about the 49ers retirements, click here.

(h/t Niners Nation)