We're counting down the days to kickoff with “99 Warriors,” the greatest Ohio State Buckeyes by jersey number, as voted by the staff of Eleven Warriors.
No. 93 Will Smith
Ohio State's first great defensive end of the 21st century, Will Smith accomplished just about everything a young man dreams of when he becomes a Buckeye.
DE Will Smith
2000-2003
b. July 4, 1981 (Queens, N.Y.)
- National Champion (2002)
- First-Team All-American (2003)
- Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2003)
- Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year (2003)
- Team Captain (2003)
In 2002, Smith was among the defensive stars of Ohio State's national championship team. In 2003, Smith was a first-team All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. In 2004, Smith was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the NFL draft.
A four-year letterwinner and three-year starter for the Buckeyes, Smith finished his Ohio State career with 167 total tackles, 46.5 tackles for loss and 23 sacks.
Smith was also a team captain in 2003, and graduated from Ohio State in 2005 with a degree in criminology.
The Utica, New York, native went on to play nine seasons for the Saints, recording 67.5 sacks in his NFL career, earning a Pro Bowl berth in 2006 and helping lead the Saints to their first-ever Super Bowl win in 2010.
Smith's life came to a tragic end in 2016, when he was fatally shot in New Orleans, but his legacy as both a Buckeye and Saints great lives on.
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Photo: Ohio State Dept. of Athletics
