When a player gets released by a team -- especially one who has been with the organization for a long time -- it's painful and can often lead to bitter feelings. That's why gestures, like the one by former Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith, really stand out.

Smith, 35, who had been with the Steelers for 13 years, bought a full-page ad in today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to say goodbye to the organization and its fans. The last Steelers player to do this was Alan Faneca in 2008, according to the Post-Gazette.

A 1999 fourth-round draft pick by the Steelers out of Northern Colorado, Smith was possibly the most unheralded figure on the Steelers' defenses. From 2000 to 2008, when Smith had double-digit starts, Pittsburgh ranked in the top 10 in defense all nine years including four as the top-ranked unit. During his career, Smith had at least four sacks in six seasons and is 10th on the team's all-time list with 44.

But injuries lessened his impact in recent years. Smith's 2011 season ended in October when he was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury. It was the third straight season that injuries have limited Smith. He played in only 11 games spanning the 2009 and 2010 seasons because of shoulder and triceps injuries and appeared in just four in 2011.

Here is what Smith wrote in the ad today: