Chris Smith, a former NFL standout, has passed away, his agent tweeted. He was 31.
In his eight years in the NFL, Smith, a former defensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns, played for several clubs, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, and Las Vegas Raiders.
His reason for death wasn’t known right away.
Social media was flooded with tributes to the former player.
In 2014, Smith signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and started his NFL career as a defensive tackle. But tragedy had damaged his existence. In 2019, a few weeks after giving birth to their child, his girlfriend Petara Cordero perished in a car accident.
Smith played for the Jaguars for three seasons before moving on to play for the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. A local newspaper claims that before entering the NFL, he was the standout of his North Carolina high school football team and a hometown hero.
