Before his death last month, former New Orleans Saints player Will Smith had been enrolled in the University of Miami's inaugural MBA program for artists and athletes.
The slain football star-turned-entrepreneur never got the chance to finish.
But during a graduation ceremony Thursday night in Miami, wife Racquel Smith — who was injured in the shooting that claimed Smith's life — received a posthumous degree on his behalf.
"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. The team wrote: "Racquel is so strong!"
She was shot twice in the legs during the late-night April 9 attack on a New Orleans street. Police said she was the passenger in an SUV that her husband was driving when they had an altercation with another motorist.
Related: Ex-New Orleans Saints Star Was Shot Seven Times in the Back
The suspect, Cardell Hayes, 28, opened fire on the couple, police said. A grand jury last week indicted him for one count of aggravated assault with a handgun and second-degree murder against Will Smith, as well as one count of attempt to commit second-degree murder against Racquel Smith.
Hayes has pleaded not guilty. His defense team says he was not the aggressor and that the truth will come out during the investigation.
An attorney for the Smith family previously said Racquel Smith pleaded with Hayes to leave the scene, but he ambushed them before they could drive away.
Will Smith, a 34-year-old father of three, was a former first-round pick who played 10 seasons with the Saints as a linebacker and defensive end until 2013.
