For those into the Virginia-Virginia Tech rivalry, Tuesdays announcement that former Cavalier Aaron Brooks was investing millions into a redevelopment project in his hometown of Newport News, while his younger cousin and ex-Hokie, Michael Vick, wallows in a Kansas penitentiary, was poignant.

But for anyone who has seen the East End of Newport News descend into urban decay, it is simply good to see something positive happening there.

Cynics might wonder whether the mixed-use development Brooks and the city envision for 14 very visible acres off I-664 will draw residents and businesses. But while we hope for the best, let’s thank Aaron Brooks for not giving up on the community in which he was raised.

He’s not the first pro football star to invest in his Hampton Roads hometown.

Chesapeake’s William Fuller and Norfolk’s Bruce Smith, among others, have also brought home their hard-earned bucks; but no pro athlete had the financial upside of Vick, who forfeited the NFL’s best contract after authorities found dead pit bulls and a gambling venue behind his Surry County home.

The losers were not just Falcon fans but everyone who benefited from Vick's wealth, which if he had someday decided to follow cousin Aaron’s example, would have been Newport News, too.

Then again, Number 7s just 27, which means his days as a quarterback, and a philanthropist, may not be over yet.