When Brandon Pace received the text-message reply from Nic Schmitt earlier this week, the ex-Virginia Tech place-kicker couldn't help but wonder if his former holder hadn't muffled a snap.

"I sent Schmitt a text message asking him, 'how did the Redskins' thing go?' " Pace recalled Friday. "And Schmitt was like, 'I didn't go.' And I'm like 'what?' And Schmitt says, 'I'm going to firefighting school.' And I'm like, what?'

"Yeah, I was surprised. I've never heard of a guy turning down an NFL team, really."

Well, that's just what Schmitt did a week ago.

"The Redskins talked to my agent soon after the NFL Draft [April 28-29], and I told my agent a few days later that I wasn't interested," said Schmitt, an ex-Salem High standout who finished as Tech's career punting leader with a 42.6-yard average.

"So I never went there. I took a long time and discussed it with my family and decided not to do it. Actually, I decided I wasn't going to play football anymore."

So what's the 6-foot-2, 270-pound Schmitt going to do? He's going to be a firefighter. What? Yes, you heard right.

"The NFL money would have been nice, but I really want to do firefighting," Schmitt said. "Football, I like it a lot but it's just not what I want to do. So I'm really looking forward to being a firefighter. I'm starting in the academy this fall."

Schmitt said giving up football wasn't an easy decision. He simply said his desire to play a game that earned him a full scholarship ride to Tech had waned.

"Everyone I talked to wanted me to play, but I just didn't want it that badly," Schmitt said. "I don't think I had the will to do it, and I think if you do it, you're going to need every ounce in your body wanting to do it to be good. I actually didn't want that."

It was quite a turnaround for guy who was named a first-team Playboy All-American before last season.

"It takes a lot in your heart to want to do this [the NFL]. It's so tough to get into ... you can bounce around ... you're away, like I'm going to be," said Pace, who signed a free-agent deal with the Denver Broncos and starts camp next week.

"But good for him. At least, he's got a path to go on. The NFL is a tough business and I'm going to give it the best shot that I have. And if it doesn't work, then I'm going to have to go find a real job, too. Maybe Schmitt just figured he'd get on with it sooner."

Schmitt, 23, said he's been intrigued with firefighting for some time.

"I enjoyed college football, but even then I was talking to my dad and always telling him about firefighting and how I wanted to do it," Schmitt said. "He was just like 'finish up the college and then we'll talk about it.' I just respect what firefighters do and I always wanted to do that. I like helping people and I figured this would be a good way to do it."

Schmitt confessed that his parents, Rick and Bonnie, and his girlfriend, Kelsey Hoffman, a junior catcher on Tech's softball team, would have preferred him to try to extend his football career.

"[Kelsey] wanted me to do more football just like my family," said Schmitt, laughing. "But it was my call, my decision, and everyone now respects it."

Schmitt, who was one of only a handful of punters invited to the NFL Combine in February, said he was so excited about becoming a firefighter that he wouldn't have gone to any NFL camp.

"I'm glad it was the Redskins. I like the Redskins a whole lot, too, so now I know I can still root for them and don't have to say I got cut by them," said Schmitt, laughing.

Pace has his own theories on why his longtime sidekick spurned the 'Skins to fight fires. He listed Hoffman No. 1.

"If Schmitt can get on in Salem, he's still home, he's still with family, and Kelsey will be right down the road," Pace noted.

"He won't admit it, but I'll admit it for him. See, Kelsey's still got another year in school. Schmitt might not say it, but I believe in my heart that had something do with it.

"I think the other thing that probably encouraged him to want to be a firefighter -- I know because my brother is a firefighter, too -- is they work 24 hours and then they get 48 hours off. And Schmitt is kind of lazy guy ... so he's got his mind going the right way."