Former NFL defensive end Chris Smith has died at the age of 31, just hours after playing for the Seattle Sea Dragons in the XFL.
The 2014 NFL Draft pick spent time with seven different teams across eight seasons in the league, ending his pro career with the Houston Texans in 2021.
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He played on Sunday in Seattle’s XFL win over St Louis Battlehawks, and as yet no cause of death has been announced.
In 2019, Chris Smith’s girlfriend Petara Cordero was killed on a highway in Cleveland after his Lamborghini suffered a tire malfunction and hit the median.
Cordero exited the car and was standing at the side of the road when another vehicle smashed into the side of theirs, with a 47-year-old woman later admitting to drinking.
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A month before her death, the 26-year-old Cordero had given birth to their first child.
In a tweet revealing Smith’s passing on Monday, West Rowan High School’s football account said: ‘“Rest in Peace to a West Rowan legend!” West Rowan High School’s . “Chris was a better person than he was player! The impact he had on those around him will be remembered forever!”
Rest in Peace to a West Rowan Legend! Chris was a better person than he was player! The impact he had on those around him will be remembered forever! pic.twitter.com/9oVKyM4Gs2
— West Rowan Football (@WRowan_Football) April 18, 2023
The sad news was later confirmed by the Salisbury Post, who called him ‘the ultimate give-back guy’ who was a ‘generous donor to local schools and projects’.
Chris Smith was first drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round in 2014, and went on to sign for the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans, before dropping out of the league in 2021.
His attempt at a football comeback saw him sign for Seattle in the XFL in March, and he played five times for the team before his death.
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