Chris Smith wears 'Stay Strong' cleats as he returns to the field just five days after girlfriend's tragic death
NFL star Chris Smith returned to the field Monday night to play the Browns game against the New York Jets just five days after his girlfriend was tragically killed by a drunk driver. The 27-year-old paid a special tribute to Petara Cordero by sporting Nike cleats emblazoned with the words "Stay Strong" written in orange, after sharing photos of them on Instagram the previous day, People reports.
In the heartwarming post, he also included a photo of his late girlfriend wearing a Browns jersey with the caption "My W H Y … #staystrong❤️”
According to the report, Cordero had tattooed those words on her chest. In the wake of her demise, Smith revealed that he and several of his loved ones got the same ink in her memory. “I am going to play tonight because it is something she would want me to do,” Smith told People in a statement 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 added.
The Browns management said Smith could take how much time he needed to grieve Cordero's death, with Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens telling a press conference Thursday, “We just want to support him in any way we can.”
Cordero died last Wednesday at age 26 after being fatally hit by a car on I-90 West in Cleveland just moments after she and Smith stepped out of their vehicle due to a flat tire. She had given birth to their daughter Haven just a month ago.
Smith grieved his lover's untimely death on Instagram over the weekend, sharing a slideshow of her photos.
“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 the post. “My wifey, my best friend and the mother of my beautiful daughter. Love you baby❤️🙏🏾 #StayStrong🙏🏾🥰❤️ #RIPMyLove“
That said, the Browns defeated the Jets 23-3 on Monday night.