DE Will Smith (National Champion, Super Bowl Champion, Pro-bowler; R.I.P.)

[Best Buckeye]

Smith played well last night. Nice to see a Buckeye causing chaos on defense!

I agree, Will has been getting quite a bit of good pub recently for his play.

 

[Buckskin86]

Money matter: As pointed out here last week, the monster deal the Saints signed with franchise defensive end Charles Grant last week, a seven-year contract with a maximum value of $63 million if the five-year veteran hit every incentive in the package, is certain to have teammate Will Smith knocking on the door of New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis. Regarded by most personnel men as the better player of the two, Smith has two years remaining on his rookie contract, so it might be tough for the three-year veteran and 2004 first-round pick to get management's attention. Unless, of course, he dodges some of the offseason workouts and maybe the start of training camp. That would subject him to fines, but Smith might have to take drastic measures to get the Saints' brass to the bargaining table.

Grant's contract paid him an initial signing bonus of $12 million and calls for an $8 million roster bonus next spring. The base salaries are $700,000 (2007), $750,000 (2008), $1.85 million (2009), $4 million (2010), $4.5 million (2011), $5 million (2012) and $8 million (2013). There are $100,000 offseason workout bonuses in 2007 and 2008 and workout bonuses of $250,000 each from 2009-2013. The contract also includes roster bonuses of $500,000 for 2011, $1 million for 2012, and $5 million for 2013. Grant has an extremely livable cap charge of $2.8 million for 2007, but that skyrockets to an exorbitant $10.85 million in 2008. New Orleans will reduce that by converting the $8 million roster bonus Grant is due next spring into a signing bonus, which will then allow the team to prorate it. Chances are Grant will never see the $19.5 million in total compensation in the final two years of the contract. But the deal still pays $23.75 million in its first three seasons, $28 million in the first four and $33.25 million in the first five years. You can bet those are numbers Will Smith knows very, very well.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/insider/columns/story?columnist=pasquarelli_len&id=2860069

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Link

Smith honored at Utica Hall of Fame

May 20, 2007
By RON MOSHIER

UTICA ? When he was a Cornhill teenager growing up on South Street, nobody else that big was that fast.

That rare combination of size and speed, though, wasn't the only reason why Utica's Will Smith wound up in the National Football League as a Pro Bowl defensive end with last year's NFC South champion New Orleans Saints.

The other?

Those close to him say he made the right moves off the field.

"I always thought Will was special," said former Thomas R. Proctor High School teammate Arnaldo Santiago. "I always thought he had talent, and I always thought he would do something with it because he had his head on straight.

"He was never the guy out running the streets. He never got into that type of thing. He could've chosen another path. He stayed away from the wrong people. He knew they were around, but he just never went that way."

Smith went in a different direction, graduating from Proctor in 2000 as a high school football All-American and soon after starring at Ohio State University, where he helped the unbeaten Buckeyes win a national championship as a junior.

Two years later, the Saints made Smith their first-round pick, 18th overall, in the NFL draft. And in his third NFL season, the 6-foot-3, 282-pound Pro Bowler with a knack for sacking quarterbacks came within a win of helping New Orleans reach the Super Bowl.

Continued......

 

[osugrad21]

Link

Will Smith was always the real deal

May 22, 2007


I'm assuming most of his teammates, coaches, fans and opponents in high school had at least one moment when they found themselves in awe of what Will Smith could do physically.

I had mine before I was a teammate. He was on varsity as a junior, and I was a sophomore quarterback on the junior varsity team. We were scrimmaging the varsity team and coach called a quarterback option to his side. The idea of an option is to run straight at the defensive end. If he hits you, the quarterback's job is to pitch the ball to the running back who then runs by the defender occupied by the quarterback. It was one of our best plays.


Cont..

 

[Buckskin86]

Payton: Smith not grumbling about contract
DE has 26.5 sacks in 3 seasons, can become free agent after '08
Friday, May 25, 2007
By Mike Triplett

Almost immediately after the Saints signed defensive end Charles Grant to a long-term contract extension last month, some reports surfaced that fellow defensive end Will Smith was unhappy with his current contract.

But there has been no such indication around Saints camp.

Smith was not available for comment after the Saints' practices Tuesday and Thursday, but Coach Sean Payton called the reports "erroneous" and said Smith has had a great attitude throughout the offseason.

"He's been great," Payton said. "I think a player in our league, when they see their peers get a new contract, I think the natural inclination is for players on the right team to be happy for them. And I've heard Will make that comment.

"I think that's healthy, and I think that's the way that he feels. I can't comment for Will, but he's handled everything we've done in our approach to the offseason and the OTAs in a real good manner."

Smith's agent, Joel Segal, did not go into any details about Smith's contract, but he expressed no discontent or frustration.

"We're just taking it one day at a time," Segal said.

Smith originally signed a six-year deal as a first-round draft pick in 2004, but the final year will likely be voided, making him eligible for free agency after the 2008 season.

Smith received $20 million in bonuses in his rookie contract. He is set to earn $695,000 this year and $850,000 next season, though certain escalators in his contract could raise that figure up to $3.1 million. Specific details of the escalator clauses are unknown.

Clearly, if Smith continues on his current pace, his next contract will be substantial -- whether or not the Saints allow him to hit the open market.

Smith, who turns 26 in July, made his first trip to the Pro Bowl in 2006. He has 26.5 sacks in three seasons and is generally regarded as one of the best young ends in the NFL.

"I think he's a real good competitor. He's obviously a real good pass rusher, and he's someone who's got real good strength," Payton said. "That's a positive for us to go into a season where you are going to have two young ends that work at it. I think it's important to him.

"Those guys are obviously important to what we do defensively."

Grant, 28, signed a seven-year contract extension that could be worth up to $63 million if he reaches every incentive.

http://www.nola.com/saints/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-3/1180078018155350.xml&coll=1&thispage=2

 

[Buckskin86]

Smith could get big payday from Saints
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Updated: June 29, 2007

They already rank among the NFL's best young defensive end tandems. Sometime this summer, if things proceed smoothly, the New Orleans duo of Charles Grant and Will Smith might rate among the richest end couplings in the league as well.

Although the negotiations are only in the nascent stages, ESPN.com has confirmed that Saints officials have approached Smith -- the team's first-round pick in the 2004 draft and a player who is quickly emerging as one of the NFL's top two-way perimeter defenders -- about a new long-term contract extension.

It should be emphasized that a deal isn't imminent. The two sides, in fact, haven't even swapped proposals yet.

But the opening bargaining overtures by the suddenly proactive Saints come only two months after the team unexpectedly signed Grant -- who was designated as a franchise player -- to a seven-year contract that can be worth as much as $63 million, and which includes $20 million in bonuses. And they come in the wake of remarks by coach Sean Payton in which he lauded Smith for the manner in which he accepted the good fortune heaped upon his defensive end partner.

Even though most independent observers consider him the superior player of the two, Smith didn't pout or moan, at least publicly, about Grant's megadeal. The former Ohio State star continued to work hard in the offseason and that meant a lot to Payton, who stresses team harmony and common goals above all else.

Smith, who turns 26 on July 4, has two seasons remaining on the five-year, $11.95 million contract (actually a six-year deal in which he has already earned the right to void the final season) he signed as a rookie. He is coming off a 2006 campaign in which he registered a career-high 10? sacks and has now posted 26? quarterback takedowns in three years. Like Grant, he is adept at the sack-and-strip technique, as demonstrated by 11 forced fumbles. And at 280 pounds, Smith is much stouter versus the run than most weakside ends around the league.
It now seems only a matter of when, not if, Smith cashes in on a big payday.

And by beginning talks now, New Orleans general manager Mickey Loomis, who is intent on keeping together the nucleus of a franchise that in 2006 won only its third division title in club history, has removed any mystery as to who will be signing the paycheck.

As was the case with Grant, a player whose motivation and desire some Saints officials questioned in the past, New Orleans isn't going to let Will Smith get away.

ESPN - Pasquarelli: Saints preparing to pay Smith - NFL

 

[Buckskin86]

NFL star hopes to make his camp a permanent Utica fixture
July 1, 2007

UTICA ? Will Smith has no more family ties to this area.

His football camp, though, is here to stay.

Smith, the former Thomas R. Proctor High School star and New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl defensive end, was back in his hometown Saturday, hosting his first "Where There's a Will, There's a Way," football camp and combine at Proctor's D'Alessandro Stadium and promising it will be even bigger and better next year.

"We're going to be back," said Smith. "This is going to be an annual event, and the goal is to get bigger and make it even more competitive."

Seeing Will give back to the community is good," said Steven Brown, an 18-year-old halfback and defensive back from Utica, who will be a Proctor senior in the fall. "He's trying to give back to the community, to show he's still part of this community, by spending time with the kids and not being selfish. He's a good role model. That's real good to see.

"Today was a special day."

uticaOD.com - The Observer-Dispatch - NFL star hopes to make his camp a permanent Utica fixture

 

[Buckskin86]

Saints defensive ends turn up pressure on themselves, NFL QBs
By Chris Talbott, Associated Press Writer

Smith, the 18th pick in 2004 out of Ohio State, made Darren Howard expendable after earning a place in the rotation with Howard and Grant as a rookie.

Like Grant, Smith was able to hold down the dual roles expected of an NFL defensive end.

"I think the key to being a great defensive end is being able to play the run and the pass," Smith said. "Nowadays you see a lot of one-dimensional guys that can just play the run or just be a pass rusher."

The more serious Smith, who had 10 1/2 sacks last year, is listed at 6-foot-3, like Grant, but is not that tall. He has learned to make the most of his bullish physique.

"Even though Will don't like me to say that he's short, he's short," said Saints Pro Bowl left tackle Jammal Brown, who often draws Smith in practice.

But Brown said what Smith lacks in height, he makes up for in a variety of ways.

"It's kind of odd because he can work his power as he's doing his speed, so you have to block his speed and power at the same time," Brown said. "Other guys, you either get power or you get speed. With Will you get the combination of both of them on one play, so that makes it kind of tough to block him."

That's something the league's left tackles are finding out.

And before they have a chance to adjust to the Saints' immovable object and irresistible force, the New Orleans coaching staff is making changes coaches think will allow the duo to be more disruptive.

Smith said he and Grant will have more say in what schemes they run on passing downs this season.

"They're letting us go a little more and kind of do our own thing, you know, which gives us a lot more opportunity to make big plays and get sacks," Smith said.

Saints defensive ends turn up pressure on themselves, NFL QBs - USATODAY.com

 

[BuckeyeNation27]

Will's playing some pretty good ball tonight against the Colts.

 

[Buckskin86]

Smith standing strong - Will Smith probably has been double-teamed more than any other Saints defensive linemen. He's the only Saints defensive lineman to start every game this season.

Grant and Young have missed time because of injuries, and current starting defensive tackle Hollis Thomas began the season with the second team because he was fighting weight issues.

"I think at the left spot or the right end there's always the natural chip or help out," Payton said. "I don't know that it's out of the ordinary. With Charles missing some weeks, whenever that's the case you focus in on helping out one tackle a little more than the other."

Smith leads the Saints with four sacks through the first 10 games, which is a slight drop from his tally of 10? sacks last season.

SunHerald.com : Top linemen returning for ailing Saints

 

[Buckskin86]

Big Willie will be honorary captain for the NC game

When the doors were opened and media allowed in, among those watching the workout was former Buckeye and current New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Will Smith.

He said he was proud to see how the city is slowly being rebuilt after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina 2 1/2 years ago.

"Unfortunately we had to go through it, but just to see all the positive people, seeing all the outside people coming in trying to do as much as they can to help the city rebuild itself has been great," he said. "Just as long as we can keep it going and get this city back to where it used to be."

Smith, who will serve as honorary captain at the national championship game Monday against LSU, said he still followed the Buckeyes closely and expected them to win.

Asked if he wanted to predict a score, he laughed and said, "I'm not touching that."

WANE-TV Coverage You Can Count On: Buckeyes get down to business in Saints practice facility

 

[osugrad21]

DDN

Smith to speak
Former OSU star Will Smith, now a standout defensive end for the New Orleans Saints, will serve as honorary captain and will share some thoughts with the Buckeyes before the game ? something he's been doing on a regular basis.



Cont...

 

[Buckskin86]

Smith, Colston raise bar with New Orleans
Strong play gives duo big plus entering final year of contracts
Friday, January 04, 2008
By Jimmy Smith
Though next year he'll earn more in base salary than his linemate Charles Grant, Saints defensive end Will Smith could be in line for a raise and a contract extension this offseason.

Smith was originally scheduled to make $850,000 in base salary in 2008, though various -- and unstated -- incentives and escalator clauses could have raised that to $3.1 million. According to NFL Players Association figures, Smith's salary this year will be $1.3 million, and Grant, who signed a contract extension that could be worth $62 million over its life, will earn $750,000 in '08.

The final year of Smith's original rookie deal in 2004, which calls for a base salary of $1.045 million in 2009, can be voided, meaning 2008 could be the final year he's under contract.

Grant's deal, according to NFLPA numbers, included a $700,000 base salary in 2007, $750,000 in 2008, $1.85 million in 2009, then leaps to $4 million in 2010, $4.5 million in 2011, $5 million in 2012 before going to $8 million in 2013.

Before last week's season finale against the Chicago Bears, Smith was coy when asked if he expected the Saints to begin discussing a new contract that would bring his salary more in line with Grant, who arguably underachieved in 2007.

"You'll have to ask Joel," Smith said, referring to his agent, Joel Segal. "Talk to Joel."

Segal, as is his custom, isn't talking.

"I don't talk about contracts, so I've got nothing to say," Segal said Thursday. "I might down the road. But not today."

Smith, Colston raise bar with New Orleans- NOLA.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Unhappy Will Smith not at offseason work, wants new deal
Posted by Jimmy Smith, The Times-Picayune
April 02, 2008

PALM BEACH, FLA. - Saints defensive end Will Smith, apparently unhappy that the team has yet to restructure his soon-to-expire contract by giving him an extension and raise, is not participating in the team's off-season conditioning program, Coach Sean Payton said Wednedsay.

Smith, who watched last year as fellow lineman Charles Grant signed a seven-year contract that could eventually be worth $63 million, played for a base salary of $695,000 in 2007.

The club's first-round draft choice in 2004, Smith's original contract earned him $20 million in bonuses, and by reaching certain incentives, Smith is scheduled to earn just more than a million this season in the last year of his contract.

Payton said he understands Smith's position and feels certain the team will come to a new contractual understanding with the former Pro Bowl player.

"He's one of the guys who has become a leader in that locker room," Payton said. "I think for him it's wanting to get a new deal and hey, all parties want that. It's just a matter of sorting through and arriving at the right number."

Unhappy Will Smith not at offseason work, wants new deal - New Orleans Saints Beat - Times-Picayune NFL - NOLA.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Loomis said he had no timetable in mind for contract talks with defensive end Will Smith, who is seeking an extension heading into the final year of his current deal. But he did say that discussions have been ongoing.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to work out a deal that works for him and works for us and have him for the long term, but I'm not going to put a deadline on it, because I think they're artificial anyway," Loomis said. "Any-

time before free agency (in 2009) works for me, and sometimes it's even during free agency. But there's a desire for us on our part to have Will Smith be part of our team in the future, and I think there's a desire on Will's part to be part of the Saints as well. So, I think that's a good start."

Loomis not ready to reveal his hand- NOLA.com