Do you remember Jackie Smith's induction into the National Football League Hall of Fame in 1994? Neither did I. Sadly that shows how little attention we give to star athletes who aren't controversial or play for championship teams.

Born February 23, 1940, in Columbia , MS , his family moved to Louisiana where he attended Kentwood High School . Smith played football there but most of his high school career was marred by injuries. A talented musician, he also played clarinet in the high school band.

Smith didn't expect to become a Hall of Fame athlete. He had only played a little football in high school and didn't intend to play in college at Northwestern State in Louisiana . But, play he did, and well enough to impress the St. Louis Cardinals organization who drafted him. When Smith received the telegram from the Cardinals with his draft notification, he thought someone had made a mistake.

His determination and work ethic allowed him to play the tight end position for 15 incredible seasons in St. Louis plus one in Dallas . Along the way, he caught 480 passes for 7,918 yards and 40 touchdowns, the most ever by a tight end at the time of his retirement. Smith's best year was 1967 when he caught 56 passes for 1,205 yards and nine touchdowns.

Fast forward to 28 years after retirement. What does a star tight end and member of the NFL Hall of Fame do after a successful football career? Check out the cities with NFL teams and you will find many ex-players trying their hand in the restaurant or insurance business, but seldom are they successful in careers for which they have no training. Very few succeed in sports broadcasting.

Jackie Smith had his own plan.

“I wanted to do something that reminded me of my roots in Louisiana . Fishing was one of my favorite pastimes, I loved to fish the small rivers and farm ponds,” Smith said. “My friends and I fished for bass and bluegill in ponds and floated the river for Kentucky redeye.”

Sometimes he reminisces with friends about the quiet atmosphere of that small town, and how business flourished in a community mostly made up of dairy farms. Everyone had jobs, earning a decent living and enjoying life. It was a great place to grow up and live – roots obviously well worth remembering.

After football, Smith spent several enjoyable years helping produce the Bill Dance, Tom Mann, Roland Martin, and Mark Sosin television shows.

Through a friend, Smith became intrigued with a kayak Hobie was developing. The propulsion system was different from anything he had seen.

He liked the idea of a portable boat that could be used on small waters, similar to those where he grew up, and wanted to become involved. After a few angler-friendly improvements, the result was Hobie's new fishing kayak.

“We did two shows with Hank Parker on his Outdoor Magazine television program. We fished the Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers ; Hank was very impressed and the exposure was great for Hobie,” Smith said.

Two of his favorite kayaks are the Outback and Sport Fisherman. Their unique propulsion system is called Mirage. Flippers activated by foot pedals move the boat silently and with very little effort. Plus, each is fitted with angler friendly amenities that work well in ‘skinny' water.

Other Hobie angler models are the FloatCat, which is a dual pontoon paddleboat and the Quest Fisherman that has traditional kayak propulsion. See Hobie's fishing products at www.hobiecat.com.