Story highlights
Will Smith earned an MBA from the University of Miami
The ex-Saints player was killed in New Orleans last month
Cardell Hayes was charged with second-degree murder in Smith's slaying
The wife of former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith accepted his posthumously-awarded degree from the University of Miami.
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 wheelchair. Applause greeted the announcement.
New Orleans violence ‘beyond the pale of reason and sanity’
Will Smith was part of the 18-month Miami Executive MBA for Artists and Athletes program at the university.
The course teaches “accomplished individuals with strong personal brands how to leverage their current career achievements into business success,” according to the School of Business Administration’s website.
Smith recalled as a force on and off the field
Smith was killed April 9 and was shot eight times. He was hit seven times in the back. Racquel Smith was shot twice.
Cardell Hayes, the man accused of killing Smith, is facing a second-degree murder charge.
The big questions of the Will Smith case
Hayes’ attorneys say he was not the aggressor, but rather a victim of a hit-and-run the night Smith was shot.
Police say the two men exchanged words, after which shots were fired.
The next hearing in the case will be June 3.
CNN’s John Murgatroyd and Martin Savidge contributed to this report