Mary Kay Cabot
cleveland.com
(TNS)
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Haven Harris Smith was only four weeks old when her mother was struck and killed by a car here, and now she’s also tragically lost her father, former Browns defensive end Chris Smith, less than four years later.
Smith died Monday at the age of 31, his North Carolina high school West Rowan, reported on Monday night. His hometown newspaper, the Salisbury Post, confirmed it Tuesday morning.
No cause of death was provided.
Originally a fifth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2014 out of Arkansas, Smith played for the Browns in 2018-19.
His 2019 was marred by tragedy when his girlfriend, Petara Cordero, was struck and killed early Wednesday morning on I-90 in Cleveland by a woman who told Cleveland police she had been drinking. Smith was with her at the time, and Cordero had given birth to their daughter only four weeks earlier.
Smith told cleveland.com a day before the accident how excited he was the Cordero and Haven were flying up to Cleveland to visit him for the first time. Haven is the youngest of Smith’s three children.
To honor Cordero, Smith opted to play in the Monday Night Football Game five days later.
“I am going to play tonight because it is something, she would want me to do,’’ Smith said in a statement. “She would want me to keep doing what I love and stay strong. I play for her tonight. She is my why.”
Then Browns coach Freddie Kitchens and other went to Smith’s house to console him in the days after the accident.
“When you have a bunch of guys who are close and continuing to move in the same direction, it affects everybody because you end up caring about the person,’’ Kitchens said then. “Funny thing happens when you start playing this game of football, you think you’re just playing and coaching, and everything is fine until life hits. Then when life hits, it is kind of a reality check.’’
Kitchens noted “Chris is on my mind right now, his family is on my mind, her family is on my mind and the 4-week old baby is on my mind. It’s a difficult time, but we are going to get through it. There’s never going to be an excuse. I promise you that. We are going to get through it together.’’
Kitchens acknowledged that Smith was an inspirational leader of the team.
“His smile is infectious. His personality is infectious,’’ said Kitchens. “He is just overall well-liked. Everybody in that locker room is hurting for him.”
Smith and Cordero were heading west on I-90 near the West 140th Street exit ramp in his 2019 Lamborghini. Smith told police that a tire on his vehicle blew out, which caused the vehicle to veer left and strike the center median wall. Smith and Petara exited the vehicle and were standing on the north shoulder of I-90 West.
A short time later, the woman in a 2017 Mazda 3 approached the disabled Lamborghini. The Mazda veered to the right side of it, striking the open passenger side doors and then Cordero.
Cordero was taken to Fairview Hospital by Cleveland EMS where she was pronounced dead.
Smith went on to play for the Raiders in 2020 and the Texans in 2021. He had signed with the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in March.
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