(Cleveland) Former NFL defensive end Chris Smith, whose time with the Cleveland Browns was clouded by tragedy, has died at the age of 31.
Smith’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and the Browns confirmed his death on Tuesday. The cause of death was not specified.
Smith was playing for the Seattle Sea Dragons, an XFL club, this season. He previously spent eight seasons in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders and Houston Texans.
During Smith’s time with the Browns in 2019, his girlfriend, Petara Cordero, was fatally hit by a car after getting out of the one he was driving. Cordero was standing on the shoulder when a vehicle driven by a 47-year-old woman collided head-on with the passenger side of Smith’s car.
“Chris was one of the nicest players I’ve ever met,” Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett said. He would have been ready to sell his mother for you. It’s hard to accept that people can leave us like that, overnight. ยป
“You never know what the people around you are going through and what’s tormenting them,” he added.
Smith and Cordero had a baby girl shortly before his death.
