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The San Francisco 49ers have dealt with some drama when it comes to pass rusher Aldon Smith, but they'll gladly trade that in exchange for the tremendous results he brings on the field. Smith's most recent outing resulted in 5.5 sacks -- good for a Monday Night Football record -- in a dominating win over the Chicago Bears. That's good enough to net Smith the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
The former Missouri star now has 15 sacks in 11 games on the season, overtaking Von Miller of the Denver Broncos in the process. Smith set the rookie sack record last year with 14.5, so it's clear that he's a legend in the making -- as long as he remains consistent on the field and doesn't allow issues off the field to distract or even suspend him.
Smith was the 7th overall choice in the 2011 NFL Draft after a strong season with the Tigers.