"Bruce Smith, real estate developer."

That has a nice ring to it. Particularly in light of the off-the-field conduct of other high-profile athletes, past and present.

While some folks were setting up dogfights or getting mixed up with vigilante justice, Smith, a soon-to-be NFL hall-of-famer, has spent his time learning more than X's and O's.

These days, he's the lead developer of a $50 million project in Blacksburg. We're talking nearly 300 apartments, a hotel and retail space. The cherry on top is that it will be called Smith's Landing.

When you're calling the shots, you can put your name on stuff.

Smith's quiet transition from star athlete to businessman should make fans and non-fans alike proud. I'm not an official member of the Hokie Nation, but one doesn't have to be a Hokie to appreciate Smith's foresight in preparing himself for life after the NFL.

Last year in a column, I expressed concern that too many college athletes don't take advantage of the free education their athleticism affords them. As a result, they don't have a game plan if they don't make it to the professional ranks, or if their career is short-lived.

Smith played 19 seasons in the NFL and is the all-time leader for sacks.

The No. 1 draft pick in 1985 studied sociology but left Tech without a degree after three-and-half years. However, Smith said in a telephone interview Monday that he valued the educational opportunity Tech gave him.

The school, he said, also reinforced the lessons his parents and high school coaches instilled in him.

"They all prepared me for responsibility, obligation, integrity -- things that are very important in the world of business," Smith said. "Just because you haven't graduated, doesn't mean you don't get an education.

"I consider myself to be blessed, educated and very thankful for the experiences" he has encountered.

After about nine years in the league, Smith said, he began to think about life after football. The Norfolk native met businesspeople. He built relationships with them and learned from them.

"If you associate yourself with businesspeople, then you're going to be thought of as a businessperson," Smith said. "If you associate with someone who has a great deal of wisdom, then you're going to have a great deal of wisdom yourself."

Smith said he's not unusual among athletes. Plenty of athletes have retired from sports and made successful transitions to business and other careers, he said.

"We always hear the negative stories. There are prominent people ... that are doing so many good things in the community. But we don't quite focus on those individuals."

Not so fast, Bruce Smith. Today's column focuses on you because you represent the many athletes who quietly perform good work in their communities.

If his Blacksburg project is successful, Smith will be admired not only for his mark on the athletic world, but, more significantly, for his imprint on a community.

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