Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer received a text message Sunday from defensive coordinator Luke Fickell that gave him the news. Will Smith, one of the best defensive players in the history of the program, died tragically the night before.
“Just tragic news,” Meyer said Monday when asked about Smith.
The Buckeyes held a moment of silence and said a prayer for Smith’s family Monday morning, according to Meyer.
Smith, 34, was shot and killed Saturday night following a minor car accident. According to reports, Cardell Hayes shot Smith multiple times and also shot Smith’s wife, Raquel, twice in the right leg. Raquel Smith was transported to a local hospital; Will Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. Hayes was charged with second-degree murder.
Meyer said Fickell “knows [Smith] as well as anybody,” and that he believes he had met Smith before.
“He was very unassuming, didn’t expect the world to stop when he walked in the room,” Meyer said of Smith. “Just a wonderful guy and all that.”
Smith was part of Ohio State’s national championship winning team in 2002 and was a captain for the Buckeyes in the 2003 season. He ranks seventh all time in Ohio State history with 22 sacks.
Smith was a first-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2004 NFL Draft and spent the majority of his professional career there. He ranks fourth all time in Saints history in sacks and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2006.
