“Cardell Hayes was guilty when he walked up those steps.” About the Author Tyler R. Tynes is a Staff Writer for SB Nation where he covers the intersection of race, politics and sports. Hayes was a member of the fictional ‘MC State’ football team Tatum’s character Greg Jenko played on. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Cardell Hayes filed a motion Monday seeking a new trial in the 2016 gun death of retired Saints defensive captain Will Smith. They are considered loyal, protective and potentially dangerous — characteristics that apparently Hayes shares. Raion Hill, who grew up in a suburb of New Orleans and played for two years in the NFL, said he once brought a knife onto a movie set to protect himself from Hayes. On Tuesday, police said a loaded handgun was found in Smith's car. Accused shooter Cardell Hayes, 28, is a former New Orleans prep football star who never managed to make it beyond the Big Easy. The U.S. Supreme Court has thrown out the manslaughter conviction for the man who shot former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith to death in 2016. On April 9, 2016, Smith was involved in a traffic collision in which a Hummer, driven by 28-year-old Cardell Hayes, was rear-ended by Smith's Mercedes SUV in an ongoing confrontation that allegedly started with Smith's vehicle rear-ending the Hummer. The former NFL player was shot in an apparent road rage incident … Hayes returned to football last year with the Crescent City Kings, a member of the Gridiron Developmental Football League, which started play in 2010 and includes 27 teams based mostly in the South. NEW ORLEANS, N.Y. – The U.S. Supreme Court has thrown out the conviction of Cardell Hayes, the man found guilty of killing New Orleans Saints … He said the former NFL player did not brandish a gun and never threatened Hayes. In 2016, Cardell Hayes was convicted of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of retired New Orleans Saints defensive leader Will Smith. This testimony appeared to conflict with Hayes' prior statements. Cardell Hayes usually laces up his cleats, straps on his helmet and joins his team at practice in pursuit of opportunities he neglected in the past. Hayes was the man behind the wheel of the Hummer H2 that rear-ended Smith’s SUV and the man who pulled the trigger, ending Smith’s life. Smith was killed in a traffic confrontation in New Orleans last April. But Hill also said Hayes apologized, and three of Hayes’ longtime friends and former high school teammates, along with Hayes’ former high school coach and his current head coach, described him as peaceful and a leader on the football field. Washington said he has yet to learn whether O’Neal rejoin the team before the Crescent City Kings open their season against Lee County Tiger-Cats of Tupelo, Miss., on May 21 in New Orleans. “A lot of questions aren’t answered,’’ said Washington, who indicated that football is a secondary concern with Hayes' freedom and ability to raise his 5-year-old son at stake. In 2012, Hayes was arrested for and subsequently plead guilty to a weapons charge and possession of codeine syrup. Moments later the vehicles are seen blocks away where the shooting occurred. That decision though, was not unanimous. Cardell A. Hayes, who uses the nickname "Bear" on … After contemplating trying out for the football team, he decided to focus on studies, according to his former roommate, Melvin Russell. He is the father of a 5-year-old son. 3 offseason moves the New Orleans Saints may already regret. In 2011, the family sued and right before the case was set to go to trial, Hayes' family settled out of court with New Orleans PD for an undisclosed amount of money, though the sum was said to be large. Hayes, 28, is facing second-degree murder charges and the prospect of life in prison for allegedly shooting to death retired NFL standout Will Smith Saturday night. Hayes, who waited at the scene before police arrived and arrested him, is being held on $1 million bail as speculation about who he is grows. Cardell Hayes was convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting retired New Orleans Saints football player Will Smith after their cars collided. Police have also recovered the murder weapon. How Cardell Hayes went from football prospect to murder suspect NEW ORLEANS — On the outskirts of this city, in a dimly lit lot, members of a minor-league football … Hill said he exchanged words with Hayes on the set of 22 Jump Street, a 2014 movie that was filmed in Louisiana and for which Hill and Hayes worked on football scenes. pic.twitter.com/hHNiuS6rgI. Hayes … New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton, right, and Will Smith’s widow, Racquel, walked into court Saturday for the trial of Cardell Hayes. Washington, head coach of the Kings, said he thinks Hayes had the ability to play professional indoor football and maybe even in the Canadian Football League. Saturday night at Sake Cafe, Smith’s dinner companions included Billy Ceravolo, a former New Orleans police officer sued in the shooting of Hayes’ father. “I think all that’s in the dark will come to the light,’’ Fred Washington, the Kings head coach, told USA TODAY Sports. COVID-19 in DC, Maryland and Virginia: Data on cases, deaths and vaccines, Winter storm timeline: Snow, ice Wednesday night into Friday, Investigating helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, Brady cements legacy with 7th Super Bowl title as Buccaneers blow out Chiefs 31-9, DC-area man performs national anthem in ASL at Super Bowl LV, CDC study finds two masks are better than one against COVID-19. Ike Spears, who represented Hayes in the case, said his client received a large settlement, according to the Baton Rouge Advocate. A decade earlier, when Hayes was a senior at Warren Easton High School in New Orleans, one recruiting service ranked him among the top-50 college prospects in Louisiana. Washington said he was a stalwart on a team that finished 10-2 last season and with the league’s top-ranked defense. Cardell Hayes claimed Will Smith said, 'I'm gonna go get my gun' Source: Will Smith had blood alcohol level of 0.235 on night he died Bryce Dejean-Jones killed while breaking into Dallas apartment And he is a football player whose once-promising career appears to be over. "All that’s up in the air.’’. Hayes has been arrested and is being held at the New Orleans Parish Prison. Peter Thomson, an attorney for the Smith family, held a news conference Wednesday and denied there was a hit-and-run incident or that Smith was the instigator. The U.S. Supreme Court vacated on Monday a manslaughter conviction for Cardell Hayes in connection to the shooting of former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Will … Images obtained from Hayes Facebook account also show that the former-prep star was also an extra in the hit movie 22 Jump Street, featuring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. The New Orleans Saints had a great offseason in 2020. But, as the hours tick by, more information about the once-unknown Hayes is starting to surface regarding his past. Police said they interviewed O’Neal after the shooting. "Smith had a gun and was going to shoot it and Cardell may have saved both of their lives.". As the hours tick by, more information is coming out about Hayes, which begs the question— who is Cardell Hayes? Police have indicated they think it was a coincidence. There were subsequent encounters between the police and Hayes. Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the decision. Kevin O'Neal, a passenger in Hayes' car, released a statement through an attorney, Tanzanika Ruffin, on Wednesday claiming that Smith had threatened Hayes with a gun. Schools such as LSU and Florida took notice of the talent, though “the Times-Picayune notes it’s not clear where Hayes ended up playing college football, if anywhere,” according to Deapsin. At 8:00 AM this morning, New Orleans police officially booked him, charging him with second-degree murder. Cardell Hayes usually laces up his cleats, straps on his helmet and joins his team at practice in pursuit of opportunities he neglected in the past. A photo of former Saints Pierre Thomas and Will Smith with friend Billy Ceravolo 1 hour before the fatal shooting. … What we do not know is why he did this. Surveillance video from businesses in the Lower Garden District shows what appears to be Hayes' rust-red Hummer H2 being bumped by Smith's Mercedes SUV. “My client believes that Cardell saved his life," Ruffin said in a statement to WDSU-TV. Hayes was a member of the fictional ‘MC State’ football team Tatum’s character Greg Jenko played on. Now his football career may be gone for good. In 2012, he pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and possession of codeine syrup and served six months in prison. The first five days of the murder trial of New Orleans semipro football player Cardell Hayes for the death of former Saints defensive end Will Smith have featured several key developments. Sources have now confirmed that Billy Ceravolo, one of the officers named in the suit, was out to dinner with Smith and former-Saints' RB Pierre Thomas last night "not long before the shooting". “I’m sorry to see Mr. Smith lose his life, just as well as to see Cardell’s life in limbo,’’ said Washington, who has instructed his players not to talk to the news media about the shooting. According to the report, Scout.com at one time had Hayes ranked among the top prep football players in the entire state in 2004. His friends have provided details. "The driver of the Hummer was enraged, yelling and cursing," Thomson said. Late Saturday night, after Will and … During the trial, video evidence was said to have shown Hayes' father backing away and attempting to flee. Nearly eight months ago, former New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith and New Orleans semipro football player Cardell Hayes saw a minor traffic incident turn into a fatal shooting. Saints add a new quarterback in CBS mock draft, Saints go back to defense in NFL.com 3-round mock. The 28-year old made headlines late Saturday night by gunning down former-Saints’ DE Will Smith after a traffic collision in New Orleans. Update: Hayes' lawyer confirms he received multi-million $ settlement from city after NOPD shot his father in strange 2005 incident. In the space of just a few months, Cardell Hayes went from being a promising football prospect to a murder suspect. Ronald Gasser was arrested Monday, and is being held without bail, records state. Tyrann Mathieu, a safety for the Arizona Cardinals, said he knows of Hayes and the day after Smith’s death Mathieu tweeted of the alleged killer, “He been a hating (expletive) coward ... Never knew he'd grow up to be a killer tho ... May you get what you deserve coward.’’. The man accused of killing Will Smith and wounding his wife, Racquel, is a former New Orleans prep football star. In 2014, he plead guilty as a first-time offender to illegally carrying a firearm and drug paraphernalia, resulting in a 6-month probation sentence. Thanks to excellent police work, we now know who the other driver was: Cardell Hayes, 28. Hayes testified that he was acting in self-defense and that Smith had a gun. The 29-year-old Hayes claimed self-defense but a jury convicted him of manslaughter, and attempted manslaughter for wounding Smith's wife. Our friends at the Time-Picayune unearthed that Hayes was once a high school football start in New Orleans. He also is listed as the executive of Pocket Monster Bullies, a company incorporated in 2015, according to records, and appears to involve breeding of small dogs, such as pocket bully pit bulls. The matter of his father’s death has surfaced again. Police Say Hayes Rear-Ended Will Smith & Then Shot & Killed Him. The next year, Hayes filed a federal lawsuit seeking $4 million. There is no word on when a trial will take place. NEW ORLEANS -- Cardell Hayes, the man convicted of shooting and killing former Saints player Will Smith has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, Judge Camille Buras ruled Thursday. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Instead of stopping, the Mercedes pulls away. "Moments later, the killer unloads six to eight shots into Will's back.". One of those players is O’Neal, the passenger in Hayes' car and a former high school teammate. Cardell Hayes, man convicted in Will Smith death, files appeal Lee Green, the former football coach at Warren Easton, said Hayes lacked motivation in high school and Washington said he got the same sense from his conversations with Hayes. NEW ORLEANS — On the outskirts of this city, in a dimly lit lot, members of a minor-league football team parked their cars Tuesday night. Sporting News is now reporting that in 2005, Hayes' "mentally unstable" father was shot and killed by police after wielding a knife during an argument outside of a New Orleans pharmacy. This is not the first time Hayes has had a run-in with the law, although his previous encounters were nowhere near as serious as this one is. He was mentally ill. @wdsu. But there was no rust-red Hummer H2, usually the most visible car when the Crescent City Kings gather for practice, because the vehicle and its now-infamous owner remain in the custody of the New Orleans Police Department. John Fuller, Hayes' attorney, echoed the claim that "at least one" witness saw Smith with a gun. In 2014, he pleaded guilty for illegally carrying a firearm and drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to six months’ probation. He would spend 6 months in prison following a long legal battle. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. In 2004, the year before he graduated Warren Easton Charter … Over 12 officers responded, first peppers spraying Hayes' father before shots were eventually fired. @wdsu, More: Hayes father was wielding a knife on St. Charles Ave when cops shot and killed him. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Off and on between 2005 and 2011, Hayes attended Southeastern Louisiana, a university about 60 miles from New Orleans, a school spokesman said. Tragedy struck New Orleans, the Saints organization and the NFL late Saturday night when former-Saint Will Smith was murdered in cold blood after Smith and another driver exchanged words following a traffic collision, words that soon turned violent, resulting in the shooting death of Smith. He has a girlfriend, a sister and a mother. Questions remain about happened that evening and how Hayes went from a football prospect to accused killer. How Cardell Hayes went from football prospect to murder suspect NEW ORLEANS — On the outskirts of this city, in a dimly lit lot, members of a minor-league football … Saints Twitter reactions to Tampa’s 31-9 Super Bowl win, Saints fans handled this surprisingly well tbh, Fleur-de-Links, February 10: Drew Brees speaks on late coaching legend, Here are your daily New Orleans Saints links, Will Smith Shot, Killed in New Orleans Following Car Accident, Will Smith Update: State PD Will Not Investigate, Defense Granted Motion, Cardell Hayes Apparently Appeared in 22 Jump Street, Saints not viewed as “best fit” for two of their top free agents, Taysom Hill stepped up when called upon, all things considered, Tre’Quan Smith quietly had his most productive and efficient year as a Saint. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Will Smith's alleged murderer is a former high school football star: https://t.co/8DZydkc1Y4. NEW ORLEANS — On the outskirts of this city, in a dimly lit lot, members of a minor-league football team parked their cars Tuesday night. Cardell Hayes, who faces up to 60 years in prison for manslaughter and attempted manslaughter, said he understands the pain the three Smith … However, here are three moves they may come to regret in the near future. O’Neal was not at practice Tuesday night. At 6-6 and 300 pounds, Hayes is among the biggest players in the league and started on the defensive line for the Kings. Cardell Hayes was found guilty of attempted manslaughter and guilty of manslaughter on Sunday in the shooting death of former Saints defensive end Will Smith. “That could’ve paid for a good education, so on and so forth.’’. Earlier in the day, one of his uncles, Matt O’Neal, said until a few months ago Kevin O’Neal lived at the uncle’s house in New Orleans before leaving without saying where he was headed. The family of Cardell Hayes leaves the Orleans Parish Criminal Court after the jury convicts Hayes of manslaughter in the shooting death of former Saints player Will Smith in New Orleans, La. Prosecution and defense attorneys in the Cardell Hayes case agreed Tuesday to push back a sentencing in mid-February. Cardell Hayes was charged with second degree murder, but convicted by a jury on a lesser charge of manslaughter. Smith was killed and his wife sustained non-life-threatening gunshot injuries Saturday night in what police described as a road rage incident. 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