Will Smith stood against the concrete block wall at Ohio State’s Woody Hayes Athletic Center in 2003 and it seemed like one of the few times the wall had met its match.
Then 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, Smith was a rock solid All-America defensive end who had returned for his senior season in hopes of capturing back-to-back national championships.
The subject was OSU’s chance for its third consecutive victory over Michigan, but before he left Smith talked about how a man his size could drop so effectively into pass coverage.
I can’t remember his answer, but I was impressed by his confidence about what for most was such a challenge. He sloughed it off as if it were easy.
At that moment, it felt like there was nothing Smith couldn’t do.
We learned that wasn’t the case Sunday morning when we woke to the news that the former Saints Pro Bowler and 2009 Super Bowl champion had been shot and killed in an apparent road rage incident in New Orleans on Saturday night. A married father of three, Smith was 34.
Remembering Smith
I pray that Smith’s passing will help further the cause of ending such sad and senseless tragedies. Graduating from Ohio State with a degree in criminology in 2005, Smith commented on the issue on Twitter on Jan. 26, 2012, when he said, “Wow, 20 murders in 26 days? New Orleans.. Please Stop the Violence!”
But since I fear we are far from the day when Smith’s plea is answered, that’s not what I will remember most about him.
I will think of Smith as one of the most natural and versatile athletes I’ve ever covered, much more than a pass rusher.
His NFL statistics — 67½ career sacks, 20 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 26 pass breakups, two interceptions — can’t capture the impact Smith was capable of making. He’s the first defensive end I recall dropping into coverage and doing it well. Then-OSU defensive coordinator Mark Dantonio, now coach at Michigan State, was quick to recognize Smith’s skills. They served him well in the 2004 NFL Draft, when the Saints picked Smith 18th overall.
I’ll also remember that even though the Buckeyes failed to follow up their 2002 national championship with another, Smith didn’t second-guess his decision to return to Ohio State. He was one of a senior class of 26 that saw their careers end with a Fiesta Bowl victory over Kansas State. In 2004, 14 OSU players were drafted, led by Smith.
“I never thought leading up to the senior year [it] would be so special, coming back and experiencing all the things I experienced,” co-captain Smith said that day in November 2003. “I never really even thought about half that stuff. Now I’m excited I did come back.
“The relationship I have with the players, helping the younger guys, knowing I can have an impact on their careers, teaching them stuff. Making the program at Ohio State better.”
That attitude is part of the reason his death sent such shock waves through the OSU football family.
A player respected
As I looked up Smith’s statistics Sunday, I couldn’t believe he was selected to just one Pro Bowl, that in 2006 when the Saints went to their first NFC Championship Game.
I was vacationing in Honolulu with friends in early 2007, checking out of the hotel on Super Bowl Sunday, the same day the Pro Bowlers were checking in. Saints coach Sean Payton and his staff were sitting beside us poolside, which reminded me that Smith would soon be arriving. As we departed, I left a message of congratulations for Smith at the front desk.
It sounds self-serving now to bring it up. But I never would have taken the time for a player I didn’t respect, both on and off the field. Judging by the reaction to his passing, the college and professional football world felt the same way.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.