Former NFL defensive end Chris Smith has died at age 31. The news was confirmed by his high school alma mater's football team.
"Rest in Peace to a West Rowan Legend!" West Rowan High School in North Carolina tweeted. "Chris was a better person than he was player! The impact he had on those around him will be remembered forever!"
No cause of death was given.
Smith was a fifth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL draft out of Arkansas, according to Browns Digest.
In 2017, after three seasons with the Jaguars, Smith joined the Cincinnati Bengals before moving on to Cleveland, where he spent two seasons. He played eight games with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, and more recently, four games with the Houston Texans in 2021.
"Rest in paradise Chris Smith," Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku wrote in a tribute to his former teammate. "Hometown hero and a brother to everyone. Such a kind soul. This is Heartbreaking. Your legacy lives on as a person who spread love with a smile. Love you bro."
"RIP Chris Smith, Your smile lit up the room and you spread positivity everywhere you went," added Jerry Mitchell, a cornerback who played with Smith in college, according to the Daily Mail. "You always had a passion for working hard, chasing your dreams, and keeping God first!"
In 2019, Smith's girlfriend, Petara Cordero, who was the mother of one of his three children, was killed at age 26 when she was struck by a passing car after exiting his vehicle.
According to the New York Post, the incident took place after Smith's Lamborghini had a tire malfunction. Smith was driving at the time and Cordero was a passenger. Both exited the vehicle without injury but then an oncoming vehicle struck Cordero, who had given birth to their first child, a daughter named Gaven Harris, a month before.
According to police, Smith was not impaired, nor was he injured.
"Words cannot describe the sorrow we feel for Chris following the loss of his girlfriend, Petara," Browns team owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement to the Post at the time. "Our entire organization mourns with Chris, his family and the Cordero family. We will do everything possible to offer them our support, comfort and any resources in this most difficult time."