Smith had three children - eldest son Will Smith Jr was from a previous relationship, while daughter Lisa and youngest son Wynter were from his marriage to Racquel. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Racquel Smith, who was shot in the legs during the attack that killed her husband, received it during Thursday's commencement ceremony.Video from the event shows her on stage in a … Racquel Smith was shot twice in the legs during the April 9 altercation in New Orleans that killed her husband. Will Smith Snr, Smith's father (center), was pictured with family members at the event on Friday. Racquel, who was shot in both legs during the vicious late night attack in central New Orleans on Saturday, leaving her with a shattered femur, was attending a casket viewing for her deceased husband alongside fellow Saints player Pierre Thomas. Thomas claims to have witnessed the shooting after going out for dinner with him on the night of the attack. At the Saints' training center on Friday hundreds of people wearing the team colors of black and gold turned out to pay homage to the former defensive end who was born in New York, but became a hometown legend. Racquel Smith, who was shot in each leg in the incident that took her husband’s life, came to a visitation held at the Saints practice facility in a wheelchair. Meanwhile Fuller, wrote a letter to New Orleans police, demanding they recuse themselves from investigating the shooting. As a mark of respect, the Saints flag outside the training ground flew at half-staff, Head coach Sean Payton paid his respects at the viewing, surrounded by fans and members of the organization, one of whom wore at t-shirt with the team's logo and Smith's name printed on the back (center), Clenched jaws, drooping faces and red eyes showed the raw emotion on display for Smith during the viewing which took place Friday, just six days after he was gunned down in his adopted home city, Thomas was also seen getting emotional as he looked at Smith's casket alongside officer Ceravolo. While he was in college, Smith helped the Ohio State Buckeyes win a national championship by defeating the University of Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. In a letter delivered Friday to Mayor Mitch Landrieu and police Superintendent Michael Harrison, Fuller charged that the investigation should be handed over to state police or the FBI due 'to a grave lack of faith in the honesty and competency' of the department's investigation. Israeli healthcare group says coronavirus infections have PLUNGED by at least 60% among vaccinated over-60s, Milly Dowler's killer Levi Bellfield 'is offered Covid jab at high-security jail before most of the rest of Britain' but MoJ insists inmates won't get preferential treatment, Boris Johnson will 'force travellers from high-risk Covid countries to quarantine in hotels for ten days' in decision to be taken on Monday, DAN HODGES: The truth Boris haters can't bear to admit - he has a plan to fight coronavirus and it's working, Britons will refuse to live 'like Troglodytes' under indefinite lockdowns, says rebel Tory MP as he urges No 10 to focus on lowering hospital admissions, ‘It's a nightmare. Anita Harrison said she had been attending Saints games since 1969 and has been a season-ticket holder since 2000. Racquel Smith was shot twice in the legs during the April 9 altercation in New Orleans that killed her husband. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, SNP vows to UNILATERALLY hold a second Scottish independence referendum if Sturgeon wins May election - and challenges Boris to take legal action to stop it, We can vaccinate ALL teachers, say schools: Heads send Boris a plan for huge seven-day operation  to inoculate one million staff during February half term to get schools open within a few weeks, Disney+ blocks under-sevens from watching 'racist' Peter Pan, Dumbo and The Aristocats for breaching 'content advisories', We're sadder, poorer... and fatter: Mail on Sunday survey finds Britain is suffering under lockdown - but majority say government did the RIGHT thing with Covid response. She received a loud round of applause when introduced at the ceremony at the Bank United Center arena in Coral Gables, Florida, a video provided by Renschler showed. Guests were asked to sign a book and prayer cards and could make donations to Smith's 'Where There's A Will, There's a Way Foundation.'. On either side, large video screens showed video snippets and photos of Smith on and off the field. This Fitbit innovation features a 1.42" color touchscreen that serves up everything you need to know about your health, fitness, sleep, and more. He accumulated the fourth-most quarterback sacks in Saints history during his career and was a one-time Pro Bowler. She admired Smith for his intensity and the way he took rookies under his wing. 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Smith, 34, earned the degree through the university’s inaugural “Executive MBA for Artists and Athletes” program before he was fatally shot following a traffic incident in New Orleans the night of April 9, said his publicist, Lauren Renschler. Smith's widow, Racquel Smith, attended the viewing in a wheelchair. Click here. Also in attendance was Steve Gleason, a former Saints player diagnosed with the degenerative muscle condition ALS in 2011, who was pictured arriving in a wheelchair alongside his wife Michele. On Friday night a march with musicians and dancers took place for Smith at the spot where he was killed, with a private family funeral on Saturday, Dotted around the practice center were pictures of Smith, his wife and his children, along with images and footage being played on TV screens of him during his days with the Saints (pictured, Smith's old jersey on display at his casket viewing). After being gunned down during a traffic feud, his wife, who was also shot during the altercation accepted the degree he would have accepted this weekend at the University of Miami’s commencement ceremony. 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Will Smith's widow, Racquel, accepted his graduate degree posthumously during @univmiami commencement ceremony today pic.twitter.com/fmNFNKtCXf — New Orleans Saints (@Saints) May 6, 2016 "She was extremely proud of Will," she said. Racquel Smith is still confined to a wheelchair after she was hit in both legs during the New Orleans shooting on April 9. Smith was admired for his tenacity and grit on the field and for remaining in the area even after he left the team. He and his wife Racquel stayed in the area after he retired, and he remained active with various charities he's supported in the community. Wheelchair History Timeline June 7, 2020 When Was the Wheelchair Invented If you’re like us, not only are you intrigued by wheelchairs, but you’re also intrigued… Will Smith, 34, the former defensive end for the New Orleans Saints, was tragically killed on Saturday night in what is being called a road rage incident. Hayes' lawyer John Fuller has repeatedly stated that his client is not 'legally guilty' of murder, saying on Thursday that Smith was a hero to Hayes, who also played football. Video: Recovering in wheelchair, Will Smith's wife Racquel posthumously receives husband's MBA from Miami, by ramon antonio vargas rvargas@theadvocate.com, Get certified in Google Analytics in 48 hours for just $14, Smile! Cardell Hayes, 28, has been accused of the brutal murder but is pleading his innocence. A photo showed Smith, sitting in a wheelchair, smiling as she held the diploma. As people gathered inside to pay their respects to Smith and remember his celebrated career in the NFL, the Saints flag flew at half-staff outside. Former Saints player Steve Gleason, who has a degenrative muscle condition, also attended the ceremony (right), New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson and his wife Gayle view the casket of former Saints defensive end Will Smith during a public viewing inside the team's training facility in Metairie, Louisiana, Smith died after being shot eight times on Saturday night, with seven bullets entering his back, following a car crash with murder suspect Cardell Hayes, 28, who also claims to be a fan of Smith (pictured, mourners view Smith's casket). Son Wynter (left) and daughter Lisa (center) were from his marriage to Racquel, while eldest son Will Smith Jr (right) came from a previous relationship, Smith, a defensive end, was drafted into the Saints team from Ohio State in the first round of the 2004 draft and spent his entire career with the team until retiring in 2012. They stood in front of his silver casket which was covered with a bouquet of white orchids. Racquel Smith, widow of former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith, has been seen in public for the first time since her husband was shot dead and she was shot in both legs during a late-night altercation following a traffic accident, Smith attended a casket viewing for her husband with Pierre Thomas (together left) another Saints player who claims to have witnessed Will being shot. Shocking moment off-duty police officer opens fire on two... 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There were no hymns or readings, instead guests were asked to sign a visitor's book, write on prayer cards or make a donation to Smith's charitable foundation, Thomas was also seen speaking with New Orleans police captain Billy Ceravolo at the viewing on Friday, clearly struggling under the weight of his emotions less than a week after Smith was killed, Thomas, who was also part of the 2009 Super Bowl team, had gone back to Chicago following the shooting, but returned to New Orleans Friday. https://www.nola.com/news/article_8038cac0-82b3-5ec4-a42a-e9962cf0de91.html A photo showed Smith, sitting in a wheelchair, smiling as she held the diploma. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission, Do you want to get certified in Google Analytics but never find the time to study for the exam? Then in 2009, Smith was defensive captain on a team that went all the way to the Superbowl and won. It was during the drive home that Smith was shot eight times, seven of them in the back, killing him. A publicist for the Smith family, Lauren Renschler, said Racquel Smith accepted the degree during a graduation ceremony in Miami. The widow of former New Orleans Saints defensive end … Among the crowd was Smith's father, Will Smith Snr, wearing a Saints cap and black shirt, seen sitting at a table with family members, Saints head coach Sean Payton, assistant coach Joe Vitt, and owner Tom Benson; alongside former teammates and players from across the NFL. "She was extremely proud of Will," she said. You have permission to edit this article. "She was extremely proud of Will," Lauren Renschler, a publicist for the Smith family, told The Associated Press.The Saints' official Twitter account posted a video of the ceremony showing Racquel Smith being pushed onto the stage in a wheelchair and wiping away tears. In a statement provided to the news media last month, the Miami School of Business’ dean, Gene Anderson, said Smith “was a wonderful student, easygoing, well-liked, and respected by all of his classmates, faculty and staff.” Smith was set to graduate from the MBA program in July, Anderson said. Aside from his wife, Smith is survived by his children William, Wynter and Lisa. New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson was among hundreds of people who attended the casket viewing on Friday. The University of Miami posthumously awarded former Saints defensive end Will Smith a master’s degree in business administration during a ceremony Thursday. Very sad and senseless, I feel for the families. The 34-year-old had been enrolled in the first year […] Racquel Smith holds up the MBA her late husband, former Saints player Will Smith, was posthumously awarded by the University of Miami on Thursday, May 5, 2016. Prep for the exam in just 48 hours with this discounted study course. And he did a lot for the city and we got to watch him every Sunday and look up to him,' said Lance Ural, from New Orleans, who was wearing a Saints T-shirt. Smith, a resident of Kenner, was a member of the Saints from 2004 through 2013, helping the team reach its only two NFC title games as well as capture its lone Super Bowl championship fewer than five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Racquel Smith was shot twice in the legs during the April 9 altercation in New Orleans that killed her husband. Smith’s 33-year-old wife, Racquel, who suffered a bullet wound to each leg on the night her husband was killed, accepted the degree while seated in a wheelchair. Having trouble viewing the video below? 'It really didn't hit me until I walked in here today,' she said. His wife Racquel, 34, was with him. CORAL GABLES, FL- Even with Will Smith now gone, his legacy lives on. There was no ceremony or speeches as fans filed through the practice field, past photos of Smith. Harper was a teammate of Smith's for seven years on the Saints, including during their 2009 Super Bowl victory, Emotions were on display in the Saints training center where Smith's casket was laid out on Friday. Cardell Hayes, a New Orleans East tow-truck company owner, was recently indicted on charges of second-degree murder and attempted murder following Will Smith’s killing and Racquel Smith’s injuries. NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The widow of former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith accepted his degree from the University of Miami on Thursday, nearly a month after he was shot and killed.A publicist for the Smith family, Lauren Renschler, said Racquel Smith accepted the degree during a graduation ceremony in Miami. The pair played together on the team, New Orleans Saints assistant coach Joe Vitt hugs safety Roman Harper, who plays with the Carolina Panthers. 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