Former OSU and New Orleans Saints DE Will Smith fatally shot last night
Smith contributed to a National Title and a Super Bowl victory
Former Ohio State and New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith, 34, was fatally shot around 11:29 p.m. last evening in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans, in what can best be described as a road-rage incident.
Smith and his wife were driving in their Mercedes Benz SUV when they were rear-ended by a Hummer H2, which caused Smith’s SUV to collide with a Chevrolet Impala.
“Smith and the driver of the Hummer ‘exchanged words, at which time the driver of the Hummer produced a handgun and shot the male victim (Smith) multiple times and his 34-year-old wife twice in the right leg,’ said NOPD spokesman Juan Barnes.”
The official police statement says Smith was traveling eastbound on Sophie Wright Place when his vehicle was hit in the rear by a Hummer H2. After exchanging words the driver of the Hummer produced a handgun and shot Smith multiple times and his wife twice in the right leg. Will Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. His wife is currently being treated in the hospital. The driver of the Hummer is in police custody.
Smith was a three-year starter and a team captain for Ohio State. He recorded a team-high eight tackles in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl victory against Miami (FL) that won the Buckeyes the national title. As a senior, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and earned All-American recognition.
A first-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints in 2004, Smith was a fixture on the Saints defense for nine seasons. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2006 and recorded a career-high 13 sacks in 2009, helping the Saints win their first Super Bowl.
Smith was implicated in the notorious Bountygate scandal and suspended for the first four games of the 2012 season; the suspension was later overturned on appeal. The 2012 season would be the last time he played in the league.
After tearing his ACL in a preseason game, Smith missed the entire 2013 season and was released by the Saints. Smith signed with the New England Patriots for the 2014 season, only to be cut before the start of the regular season.
According to his website, Smith was a criminology major at OSU and aspired to be an FBI agent after his football career.
Smith is survived by his wife and three children.