Chris Smith Returns to the Field 5 Days After His Girlfriend's Death Wearing 'Stay Strong' Cleats
Just five days after his girlfriend was tragically killed by an alleged drunk driver, NFL player Chris Smith returned to the field Monday night in the Browns game against the New York Jets — and the defensive end did so with a special tribute in Petara Cordero‘s honor.
Smith, 27, sported some Nike cleats with the words “Stay Strong” written in orange, which he shared on his Instagram Story on Monday earlier in the day before the game. He also shared a photo of Cordero wearing a Browns jersey with the caption “My W H Y … #staystrong❤️”
Cordero had those words tattooed on her chest, and Smith previously revealed that he and several other of their loved ones added the same ink in the wake of her death.
He also shared a photo of their daughter Haven Harris Smith wearing a Browns onesie.
“I am going to play tonight because it is something she would want me to do,” Smith said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE earlier on Monday. “She would want me to keep doing what I love and stay strong.”
“I play for her tonight. She is my why,” he said.
A post shared by C. Smith (@98chrissmith) on Sep 16, 2019 at 10:28am PDT
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After news of Cordero’s passing, the Browns management said in a statement that Smith could decide how much time he needed to grieve, and Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens said in a press conference Thursday, “we just want to support him in any way we can.”
Cordero, who gave birth to their daughter Haven just one month ago, died last Wednesday after being hit by a car on I-90 West in Cleveland when she and Smith got out of their vehicle because their tire blew out. She was 26.
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Smith opened up about his loved one’s death over the weekend in an Instagram post.
“God has a plan for all of us we can’t understand but she is in a better place now and she can rest easy,” he wrote alongside a slideshow of photos that included Cordero. “My wifey, my best friend and the mother of my beautiful daughter. Love you baby❤️🙏🏾 #StayStrong🙏🏾🥰❤️ #RIPMyLove“
The Browns defeated the Jets 23-3 in Monday night’s game.
