Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith was shot dead Saturday night in an apparent traffic altercation, authorities said.
He was 34.  Smith was picked in the first round of the NFL draft and was on the Super Bowl winning team in 2010.  Hours before the shooting, he tweeted that he was “having a blast” Saturday night at the French Quarter Fest, an annual event in the famed New Orleans district.
Smith’s former team confirmed his death, and expressed its condolences.  “A senseless and tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with Will Smith — his wife Racquel — his children William, Wynter and Lisa,” said Greg Bensel, the Saints’ vice president of communications.
Career
Smith ranks fourth among the Saints’ all-time sack leaders and is considered one of the franchise’s great defensive players.
Before joining New Orleans, the New York native was a standout at Ohio State University, earning All-American honors and helping the school win the BCS championship in 2002.
After college, Smith was selected in the first round by the Saints in 2004 and received a Pro Bowl nomination in 2006. Smith had a career-high 13 sacks in the 2009 regular season, the season the Saints won the Super Bowl.
Two years later, though, he was one of four Saints players caught up in the so called “bountygate” scandal. Smith was suspended for four games.
He was released by New Orleans in 2014, then briefly signed by the New England Patriots but cut before the season began.
Source: CNN News