Dazhon Darien, a physical education teacher and athletic director at Pikesville High School in Maryland, allegedly created a fake audio recording of the principal spewing hateful comments.
Smith, a 34-year-old father of three, was a defensive leader on the Saints team that lifted spirits in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005.
The longtime Columbia University supporter also published an op-ed on the front page of the New York Post calling on schools to stamp out antisemitism.
The victim, 18, had been shot up to six times and was unresponsive when officers responded to Bowie High School in Arlington. Police believe he and the suspect, 17, knew each other.