The sudden passing of former NFL player Chris Smith at the age of 31 has been met with sadness and shock in the football community. The cause of death is not immediately known.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, paid tribute to him on Twitter, saying “Rest in Peace Chris. Condolences to all his family, friends and loved ones. We will miss you.”
Smith had been playing for the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons, and the XFL and Sea Dragons issued a joint statement expressing their grief: “The entire XFL family mourns the loss of Chris Smith, a cherished player and member of the Seattle Sea Dragons. Chris was a powerful presence in the locker room and universally loved by teammates and the coaching staff, he will be deeply missed by all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family and teammates at this difficult time.”
The Cleveland Browns, who Smith played for during his NFL career, tweeted that they were “deeply saddened” by the news. Furthermore, Browns player David Njoku wrote “Rest in paradise Chris Smith. Hometown hero and a brother to everyone. Such a kind soul. This is Heartbreaking.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars also tweeted that they were “saddened” to hear of Smith’s death.
Finally, NFL Films tweeted “A leader on the field, and a friend to all he played with. Rest in peace Chris Smith.”