Will Smith ( American football ) William Raymond Smith III ( born July 4 , 1981 ) is an American football defensive end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for Ohio State University . He was raised in Utica , New York . High school career . Smith was born in Queens , New York to William and Lisa Smith . At Proctor High School in Utica , New York , Smith was a USA Today All - America n pick , and was rated by Prep Football Report as the best defensive line prospect in the state . As a senior he had 20 sack s . NFL career . 430 - pound bench press . 585 - pound squat . 325 - pound power clean . Smith was selected as the 18th pick in the 1st round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints . He had a successful rookie season with 30 tackles and 7 . 5 sacks . In 2005 he had 48 tackles and 8 . 5 sacks and played well enough that the Saints did not re - sign Darren Howard thus making Smith the starter opposite Charles Grant for the 2006 season . Smith is gradually establishing himself as one of the premier defensive ends in the NFL . In his first season as a full - time starter , Smith became a leader of the defensive line and emerged as one of the NFL ’ s top defensive ends . He was voted to the Pro Bowl and finished tied for 14th in the NFL with a career - best 10 . 5 sacks . Smith played in 14 games , sitting out the finale with the Saints having clinched a playoff berth and also missing one contest with a knee injury . The club ’ s No . 1 pick in 2004 has been a force since his arrival in New Orleans , notching 33 . 5 sacks in four seasons . His 26 . 0 sacks in his first three season is the second - most in club history in so short a span ( Charles Grant , 27 . 5 , 2002 – 04 ) . Smith brings energy , toughness and a hard - nosed approach to each game , setting the tone for the entire defensive front , and he ’ s equally strong against the run . In his brief career , he has played in 62 games and posted 215 tackles ( 156 solo ) and 13 forced fumbles . In 2006 , he was named to his first Pro Bowl as a starter . 2004 . Turned in a strong rookie year with 59 tackles ( 41 solo ) , 7 . 5 sacks , a team - high six 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 . 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 . . . Started at LDE vs . Atlanta , Oct . 16 and had eight tackles and a sack . . . 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 . 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 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs vs . Philadelphia and seven tackles at Chicago in the NFC Championship . 2007 . Smith recorded a team high 7 sacks , 66 tackles and a safety . He sacked Carolina Panthers starting QB David Carr early in the season , ending Carr ' s season . 2008 . The Saints agreed to terms with Smith on a six - year , $ 70 million contract with $ 26 million guaranteed . The deal makes him the 3rd highest paid defensive end in the NFL . On December 2 , 2008 , Smith was one of six players suspended for use of Bumetanide a diuretic , which can be used as a masking agent for steroid use . It is believed that the diuretic was found in StarCaps , a weight - loss supplement that he had been taking . Smith ' s original punishment was announced as a four - game suspension for the final four games of the 2008 regular season . Enforcement of the suspension was delayed as other players challenged the decision through federal and state courts , and the league allowed all players involved in the matter to continue playing pending a final resolution of the case . Smith ' s suspension was later reduced to a two games and an additional two lost paychecks , and was served at the beginning of the 2011 NFL season . 2009 . Under new Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams , Smith has had a very solid year . After 15 games , he has 13 . 0 sacks , 49 tackles , 3 forced fumbles and one interception and was honorable mention All - Pro by AP and SN . 2012 . On May 2 , 2012 , Smith was suspended by the NFL for the first 4 games of the 2012 season because of his alleged role in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal . However on July 26 , 2012 Jonathan Vilma and seven witnesses from the Saints testified in front of a federal judge in New Orleans that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell got his facts wrong in the bounty scandal . " Everybody was sworn in under oath in front of a judge with the risk of perjury and jail time if we were lying , and categorically denied there was a bounty , " Vilma said in a text message to ESPN ' s Ed Werder . " Seven people testified , 2 sworn affidavits ( one by Drew Brees ) all saying the same thing . I ask that you and ESPN report the facts . No more bias or b . s . or hearsay . I gave you facts that you can report if so choose . " Tulane University Sports Law Program Director Gabe Feldman ( who attended the hearing in court ) said , " Clearly the judge , by her questions , indicated she thinks Goodell overstepped his authority , and this case was always going to be about if he executed his power fairly . . . The NFL ' s retort is that with all due deference , you don ' t get to second guess ( commissioner Roger Goodell ) . Judges only have limited jurisdiction over arbitration issues . " Smith ' s suspension was later overturned . On October 9 , 2012 , four weeks and three days after an internal appeals panel vacated suspensions imposed on Smith , Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma , Browns linebacker Scott Fujita , and free - agent defensive end Anthony Hargrove , the league has re - issued the discipline without any changes or reductions , according to a league source . This means that Vilma will be suspended a full season , Fujita will be suspended three games , Smith will be suspended four games , and Hargrove will be suspended eight games . Personal . He is married to Racquel ; they have three children .