Notre Dame’s Kurt Hinish Motivated by Father's Secret Wisdom
Defensive lineman Kurt Hinish probably wouldn't have told you being captain at Notre Dame was a goal of his back in 2017 when he arrived on campus.
The Pittsburgh native accomplished that goal last week as Hinish was voted a team captain by his teammates.
"It's always something I wanted to be," Hinish said following Tuesday's practice. "I've always admired that position on the football team - being at the head of something and being the first one in the foxhole. It's always been something that's piqued my interest. I knew early on here I wanted to be in this position."
Hinish's father, Kurt, has battled cancer multiple times over the last few years and it's shaped the 6-foot-1, 300-pounder. Hinish has seen some dark days and it's allowed him to be in position to face whatever comes on the field.
"He's great," Hinish said of his father. "He's doing really well. He told me a quote the other day he made up himself and I can't say it here, but if you met my father, you can probably guess what it's like. He's an old rotten dude and he's not going down without a fight."
Hinish, who goes by Braeden with the family, has leaned on his father for advice and motivation throughout the years. It might be a quote or simply observing the elder Hinish fight for every day, but he's also not revealing his father's tactics.
"I try to keep that secretive," explained Hinish. "I feel like it's kind of like my secret sauce. I'm not the most physically gifted or the best athlete on the field, but mentally, I tell myself I'm one of the baddest dudes on the field and that's just from stuff he's told me.
"This is coming from a guy that's beat cancer seven times now. I can't even keep count. The mental aspect you have to have to do that and mental fortitude - it's incredible."
Perhaps the greatest lesson wasn't a quote, as he's seen how his father approaches each day.
"The wisdom he gives, I wish I could share with everyone else, but I feel I wouldn't have an edge on everyone else," said Hinish. "One of the things he's taught me is he'll fall on his knees and die before he lets cancer or something beat him.
"That's the way I view things when I'm in the weight room - I'll fall over and die before I give up on doing something. Out on the field, I'll fall over and die before I give up. That's what he's instilled in me from a young age and something I've seen from him."
It's that type of mindset that has taken the Notre Dame program to new heights.
Hinish arrived at Notre Dame following the 2016 season, where the Irish finished 4-8.
Since his arrival, Hinish has made two College Football Appearances and won 10 or more games every year.
Coincidence?
"My freshman year, we weren't that good," Hinish stated. "We were 10-3, which is great for some schools, but at Notre Dame, that's not something we want to do. We want to go to the national championship every single year.
"I remember sitting on the bus and losing to Stanford my freshman year and in the 2017 group chat we said to each other that we're going to change this football program around."
The program has taken a turn for the better and it starts with the culture inside the walls of The Gug.
"We pay mind to a lot of the little details," Hinish explained. "I think every day in life, people skip over those minor details and they amount to something so much bigger. Not only that, the way that we are challenged in the weight room, the way that we build bonds with one another, and how much we care for another.
"And I'm not saying the guys here before us didn't have great culture before us because Notre Dame has been Notre Dame for how long. I'm not saying we came in and we changed the whole of Notre Dame, but we definitely have a culture of our own."
In the trenches, Notre Dame has become known as one of the most physical teams in the country. Alabama and Clemson players have noted the physicality over the last few years and don't expect that to change in 2021.
"We're just some bad, violent dudes up front that know how to use our hands," stated Hinish. "We're mean. We're nasty. We're some dangerous individuals up front. That's been instilled in us from Coach (Mike) Elston to Marcus Freeman and the safeties behind us. We're a bad bunch of dudes. When we show up to your field, you're going to feel us."
When it comes to physicality, Notre Dame fans should 'get used to it' as Hinish's younger brother, Donovan, is committed to play for the Fighting Irish.
"As soon as he got offered from here, I wanted to post on Twitter that all coaches don't contact him because he's coming to Notre Dame," said Hinish. "I'm super stoked for him coming here. I'm so proud of the kid and the adversity me and him have been through from such a young age and my father going through everything.
"He's a tough kid. I'm so excited he's going to get to come here and follow my footsteps."