Notre Dame defensive lineman Donovan Hinish has played his final snap.
The 2025 Fighting Irish captain will retire from football due to a shoulder injury.
If you know the Hinish family, then you know this decision wasn’t easy and speaks to the severity of the injury.
The Pittsburgh native will finish his career with 37 games played. Hinish recorded 57 career tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
2024 was Hinish’s most productive year as he ended the season with 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. One of those sacks will go down in Notre Dame history as Hinish recorded the game-ending sack in the Sugar Bowl to send the Irish to the Orange Bowl.
Hinish might not play a fifth-year at Notre Dame, but his legacy has been set. He’s the second Hinish brother to be named captain at Notre Dame and it’s all due to effort and the will to stick it out.
“Coming in, I was thinking I was going to follow my brother's path,” stated Hinish during fall camp. “He played here for five years, set the record for the most games played in Notre Dame history.
“I was thinking, he did it in his freshman year, I'll be able to do it mine. Obviously, that didn't happen. I was on scout my freshman year. Played one snap all season against Boston College in the worst game ever. Couldn't feel my hands. Sophomore year, had a limited role. In my junior year, I started to pick it up.
The Hinish family has built a culture known for hard work and that’s what the 6-foot-2, 277-pounder hopes to leave behind.
“The truth lies in the work,” said Hinish. “There's never a time when you're like, ‘Hey, I'm ready.’ At that point, you're being selfish because you're looking only out for you and not for the team. You have to put your head down and go to work day in, day out and wait for upper management or bosses to give you a call.”
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