Will Smith (American Football) life and biography

Will Smith is an American football defensive end who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. He played college football at Ohio State University.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS

Agreed to terms on a six-year contract extension, 7/11/08; Selected in the first-round (18th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft, 4/24/04.

HONORS – 2006: Pro Bowl; 2004: Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie.

2009- Started all 16 games at right defensive end and posted a career-high 13 sacks to rank second in the NFC, adding 77 tackles (42 solo) with his first career interception, four pass defenses and three forced fumbles. vs. Detroit (9/13): Started at DE and made four tackles in the season-opening win. at Philadelphia (9/20): Made three tackles from his starting defensive end spot and knocked down a pass. at Buffalo (9/27): Helped lead a dominating defensive performance as he sacked QB Trent Edwards among his six tackles and also notched his first career interception as grabbed a tipped pass in the 27-7 victory. vs. NY Jets (10/4): Had a second consecutive dominant game, notching 1½ sacks of QB Mark Sanchez twice, stripping the ball on the first leading to Remi Ayodele recovering the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Tallied six tackles on the day. vs. NY Giants (10/18): Made five tackles from his starting defensive end spot and drew a holding penalty that nullified a New York touchdown pass and forced a field goal. at Miami (10/25): Made three tackles and knocked down a pass from his starting defensive end position. vs. Atlanta (11/2): Matched a career-high with two sacks of QB Matt Ryan as he posted his seventh career multi-sack performance, recording four tackles with an additional pass defense on another near-sack. vs. Carolina (11/8): Recorded his second straight multi-sack game, dropping QB Jake Delhomme twice and stripped the ball on one of the sacks along with making a total of five tackles. at St. Louis (11/15): Made seven tackles from his starting DE spot with a forced fumble and a three-yard sack of QB Marc Bulger. at Tampa Bay (11/22): Started at defensive end and made six tackles, recording an eight-yard sack of QB Josh Freeman, marking the fourth consecutive game he recorded a sack, the longest such streak of his career. vs. New England (11/30): Wrapped up a dominant month of November with his fifth consecutive game where he posted at least one sack, recording 1½ sacks – splitting a sack of QB Tom Brady with Charles Grant and later dropping QB Brian Hoyer – among his four tackles in the win. at Washington (12/6): Made four tackles from his starting DE spot. at Atlanta (12/13): Started at defensive end and made four tackles. vs. Dallas (12/19): Started at DE and posted six tackles, with a pair of sacks of QB Tony Romo to establish a new career-high with 12 on the season. vs. Tampa Bay (12/27): Started at defensive end and made a season-best nine tackles with a three-yard sack of QB Josh Freeman. at Carolina (1/3): Started at defensive end and made one tackle in limited playing time. vs. Arizona (1/16 – Divisional Playoff): Made an impact from his starting defensive end spot, making one tackle and intercepting a Kurt Warner pass that led to a New Orleans touchdown. vs. Minnesota (1/24 – NFC Championship Game): Started at DE and played nearly every snap, making seven tackles (three solo) and forcing a fumble by WR Percy Harvin that was recovered by Remi Ayodele, leading to a Saints touchdown in the victory. vs. Indianapolis (2/7 – Super Bowl XLIV): Started at defensive end and made two tackles in the win...

2008 – Started all 16 games at RDE for the second-straight year, recording 77 tackles (33 solo), three sacks for 23 yards in losses, a forced fumble and deflected a pass…Posted five or more tackles in 11 contests…Had a 12-yard sack at Washington, Sept. 14, along with four stops…Had five tackles (four solo) a sack and a forced fumble, vs. San Francisco, Sept. 28. The fumble was recovered by LB Jonathan Vilma and led to a TD…Notched six tackles and a sack at Kansas City…Recorded a season-high eight tackles (six solor) at Tampa Bay, Nov. 30…Posted five tackles vs. Atlanta, Dec. 7, including a key stop of RB Michael Turner for a five-yard loss on a defensive stand to open the fourth quarter.

2007 – Started all 16 games at RDE, recording a team-high seven sacks and leading the defensive line with 65 tackles (37 solo) – his fourth-straight season with over 55 stops…Also registered two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, five tackles for a loss and knocked down three passes…Selected by teammates as one of the five season-long captains…Recorded four tackles (three solo) a sack for a seven-yard loss and a forced fumble vs. Carolina, Oct. 7 in his 50th career game…Posted a season-high eight tackles, including a nine-yard sack, vs. St. Louis, Nov. 11…Surpassed career 30-sack mark with a takedown of QB Matt Schaub at Houston, Nov. 18. Also recovered a fumble that led to a touchdown drive…At Carolina, Nov. 25, had two tackles, knocked down a pass and a fumble recovery…Made six tackles and recorded his first career safety when he dropped QB Luke McCown in the end zone for a seven-yard loss vs. Tampa Bay, Dec. 2…Recorded four tackles, deflected a pass, recovered a fumble and had a sack in busy day vs. Philadelphia, Dec. 23.

2006 – Started 14 games at RDE, declared inactive vs. San Francisco, Dec. 3, with a knee injury and vs. Carolina, Dec. 31, with the Saints having clinched a playoff berth…Posted five or more tackles in seven contests...Ranked 14th in the NFL with a career-high 10.5 sacks and added 56 tackles (35 solo), two pass defenses, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery…Had a sack in each of the first three games, and added a fumble recovery at Green Bay, Sept. 17…Notched five stops, a career-high two sacks and a forced fumble at Tampa Bay, Nov. 5…Had a pair of sacks again at Atlanta, Nov. 26 – where he also deflected a pass and forced a fumble – and had two more sacks at Dallas, Dec. 10…Was also a force in the postseason, with eight stops vs. Philadelphia in the NFC Divisional Playoffs and seven tackles at Chicago in the NFC Championship.

2005 – Tied for eighth in the NFC with a team-leading 8.5 sacks, despite starting nine games and not becoming a full-time starter until the final six contests...Had at least one sack in six contests…Recorded 85 tackles, six pass defenses, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery…Tallied five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble at Carolina, Sept. 11. Marked the fifth-straight contest Smith had caused a fumble, the first player in club history to do so…Top performance came at New England, Nov. 20, with a career-high 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble against defending Super Bowl Champions …Started at RDE at New York Jets, Nov. 27 and responded with six tackles and a sack…Started at LDE vs. Detroit, Dec. 24 and had six tackles, a sack and deflected a pass.

2004 – Had strong rookie year with 59 tackles (41 solo), 7.5 sacks, a team-high five forced fumbles and a fumble recovery… Played in all 16 games and started four, recording a sack in seven games…Sack total ranked second in the NFL among rookies and fourth in club history for a rookie…Came on strong over the last eight games with 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery…Had six tackles (four solo), a sack and a forced fumble vs. San Francisco, Sept. 19…Had four tackles (all solo) and a sack at Atlanta, Nov. 28…First of a three-week stretch where he recorded a sack, including vs. Carolina, Dec. 5 and at Dallas, Dec. 12, when he also added a forced fumble…Dec. 19 at Tampa Bay had a key forced fumble in the fourth quarter that set up a game-winning march. Also made a downfield block earlier in the quarter to spring WR Michael Lewis for a 53-yard punt return…Equaled season-high with eight stops (seven solo), 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble with a fumble recovery at Carolina, 1/2/05…Posted a forced fumble in each of last four contests, the first player in club history to do so in four-straight contests.

COLLEGE

Three-year starter at right defensive end for Ohio State, finishing with career totals of 167 tackles (111 solo), 21 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception …Opened 37 of 51 games in his career…Sack total ranked fifth in school history upon his departure…All-Big 10 Conference and the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year as senior, posting 49 tackles (30 solo), 10.5 sacks and 20 stops for a loss…Finalist for Hendricks Award, given to nation’s top end…All-Big 10 second-team as junior, appearing in every game despite suffering a knee sprain at midseason…Recorded 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble, an interception and a fumble recovery that season…Named Outstanding First-Year Defensive Player as freshman with three sacks.

PERSONAL

All-American at Proctor (Utica, N.Y.) HS…Had 20 sacks as senior…Represented the Saints and the NFL at several community and media appearances at recent Super Bowls…Criminology major at Ohio State who wants to be FBI agent following his playing career…Born Aug. 4, 1981.

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