Hinish: "I’m foaming at the mouth when they put me in"
Notre Dame defensive lineman Kurt Hinish is putting together a solid 2018 campaign as a sophomore and the 6-foot-1, 295-pounder has caught the eye of head coach Brian Kelly.
“He's played really well this year,” Kelly stated. “He's been a consistent performer. He's stronger physically. His endurance and his ability to go longer has impacted what we do and how he does it.
“His ability to take coaching. He had a weakness there, and his ability to shed blocking. And he worked on it, and Coach Elston is great at teaching is, and we're seeing that come to fruition this year. He's got a great motor. He never stops both on and off the field.”
The Pittsburgh native embraces the Steel City mentality on the field and admitted it might take him a few plays to get going, but havoc comes after he figures out what he wants to do.
“I get more comfortable as I play in the game,” explained Hinish. “The more I can read you, the better I will do. The more comfortable I get in the game, the better I’ll do. I’m going to come off and strike you as hard as I can. It will take me a couple plays to figure out where I should hit you and what to do to you.”
At the 1-technique, Hinish’s main job is to take on double-teams and shoot gaps every one in a while. On rare occasion, Hinish will slide to 3-technique where he can play more aggressively, which is something he’s not opposed to doing more.
“I’m only 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2 on a good day,” laughed Hinish. “I leave it up to them to put me in. I’m not going to say they are right or wrong but it’s up to them. There are times I have to slide over to play 3-technique, and I do fine even though I’m challenged vertically. It doesn’t stop me from playing.”
As he admitted, Hinish isn’t the tallest player but he’s going to be one of the most physical on the field, and it starts with his desire to punish his opponent play after play.
“Coming off with a quick first step and shooting your hands into the offensive lineman,” Hinish said of his goals each play. “I like to pinpoint a spot on the offensive lineman’s chest. We talk about the V of the chest, and that’s where I like to strike my hands as hard as I can.”
Hinish might be one of the most physical players on the field, but another part of his game is getting attention from Social Media.
“Khalid Kareem and I do the eye black every game,” Hinish stated. “The eye black is something it alters my personality. It changes the person I am on and off the field. It changes me into something like a monster.”
With his entire face covered in eye black, it’s not a surprise Hinish models his game in personality after the Joker.
“Someone I really like admiring in how lunatic and crazy the Joker is,” stated Hinish. “He always wears face paint. I think he’s nuts and I think it’s sick. A lot of my Instagram posts, I use Joker quotes. He’s out of his mind, and I think it’s great. I’m not a lunatic, but I like to carry that into my play.”
It might seem odd but it’s what gets Hinish going and when he gets going, look out.
“I’m foaming at the mouth when they put me in,” said Hinish. “I’m ready to go. I’m shaking and ready to go. I love it.”