The New Orleans Saints Ring of Honor plans to expand on Sunday during their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with former Saints defensive end Will Smith being inducted to a very short list of great players and contributors in team history.
Smith was drafted by the Saints back in 2004 out of Ohio State, and he spent his entire career in New Orleans until his retirement after the 2014 season. He was a starter along the defensive line when the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV, racking up a personal-best 13 sacks. His 67.5 career sacks remain the fifth-most for anyone in the team’s all-time history. Smith was tragically killed in 2016.
Rod Walker of NOLA.com first reported the news of Smith’s induction, following an announcement from team owner Gayle Benson in August that the Ring of Honor would be receiving a new addition.
The list Smith will join is very brief; it includes former owner Tom Benson, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Rickey Jackson, Willie Roaf, and Morten Andersen, as well as former Saints quarterback Archie Manning. The Ring of Honor was founded in 2013, featuring Manning, Jackson, and Roaf as its inaugural class.
