NEW ORLEANS (WWL/10TV) — Will Smith, the former Saints defensive end who was killed in a 2016 road rage incident, was given the team's highest honor when he was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor Sunday.
Smith is the sixth player inducted into the highest tier of Saints honorees. He is already a member of the team's Hall of Fame.
Smith played for the Saints for 11 years, from 2003 to 2014. He ranks fifth in the team's history for sacks with 67.5.
He joins Morten Andersen, Tom Benson, Rickey Jackson, Archie Manning, and Willie Roaf in the Ring of Honor.
Smith was killed in 2016 in a road rage shooting.
Smith, a native of Queens, New York, was a four-year letterman from 2000-03 at Ohio State and played for the Buckeyes' 2002 national championship team. He was a first-round draft choice by New Orleans in 2004.
Smith graduated from Ohio State with a degree in criminology.
He led the Saints with a career-high 13 sacks in 2009, when the club won its only Super Bowl. Smith's career sack total ranks fourth in Saints history. He had 457 career tackles, 20 forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries and two interceptions.
He last played in an NFL regular season game in 2012.
Off the field, Smith took an active role in trying to improve the lives of children in New Orleans. He established a foundation called, Where There's A Will, There's A Way, in 2007. Its stated mission is "to motivate, educate and provide opportunities for women and children."
After football, he settled in Louisiana, his wife's native state. His shooting came during the weekend of the French Quarter Festival, a popular festival featuring local music and food.
He was inducted during halftime during the Saints game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
