Former Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Chris Smith has died at the age of 31 as first reported by West Rowan High School in Mount Ulla, North Carolina, which was where he went to high school. No cause of death was released but the news has been confirmed by his former agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Rest in Peace Chris. Condolences to all his family, friends and loved ones. We will miss you
Smith came into the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014. He was able to consistently play in the NFL for eight seasons. Outside of the Raiders and Jaguars, Smith also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans. He also spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens but never played in games for them. He was most recently seen playing for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. Even at age 31, he wasn’t giving up on playing football despite the NFL not showing interest as he got older.
Smith notched 11.0 sacks and 80 combined tackles throughout his NFL career. He played his college football at Arkansas where he was a standout. He had 21.5 sacks in his college career, including 8.5 sacks as a senior where he was named Second-Team All-SEC. He also accumulated an impressive 30.5 tackles for loss in college.
The former defensive end is survived by three children, one of which is from his former girlfriend Petara Cordero, who died in 2019 after being struck by a passing car.
Derek Carr & Maxx Crosby Respond to News
Smith never dominated the stat sheet and had a hard time staying on teams long-term but he was consistently a beloved teammate. As part of the Raiders’ 2020 squad, he was able to form relationships with a number of their players. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby was devastated to hear the news about Smith.
Not My Brother Chris… 😔
Former Raiders quarterback and current New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr also reacted to the news.
Love you bro.
Though Smith wasn’t with the Raiders for long, he clearly left an impact on many players.
NFL World Sends Love to Smith & His Family
Considering Smith played for so many teams throughout his career, he was able to meet many people in the league. The Browns released a statement following the news.
“Chris was one of the kindest people, teammates and friends we’ve had in the organization,” the Browns said in the statement.
Smith’s former teammate on the Browns David Njoku expressed heartbreak after hearing the news.
Rest in paradise Chris Smith. Hometown hero and a brother to everyone. Such a kind soul. This is Heartbreaking
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson never played with Smith but has played against him. He sent prayers to the defensive end’s family.
RIP Chris Smith💔🙏🏾 Praying for your loved ones.
Buffalo Bills defensive end Shaq Lawson was among the many players to express being hurt by the news.
Man prayers up 🙏🏽for Chris smith family. This one hurts 😔
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett spent two seasons playing with Smith. He spoke to the media about what kind of person Smith was.
“Chris was one of the kindest players and people I’ve ever met. Willing to give the shirt off his back for you,” Garrett told reporters Tuesday.
While Smith may have never been a household name with NFL fans, he was clearly beloved by the players and teams he played with. The tributes and stories about him will likely keep pouring in as the news spreads.
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Derek Carr & Maxx Crosby Respond to Death of 31-Year-Old Former Raider