Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM PRESEASON 2024 59 Rockne consistently praised Smith's work in treating the bumps and breaks, cuts and contusions of the Fighting Irish. His methods were considered on the cutting edge in the field of athletic training. Smith is thought to be the first Black employee of the university. It is likely, though, that he did all his work on or near campus. There is no record of him accompanying the team to road games because accommodations would have been an extreme challenge in that Jim Crow era. Smith was also active as a boxing impresario, staging fights on Friday nights before big Notre Dame home football games. They were a precur- sor to the campus Bengal Bouts that became a Notre Dame tradition. Later, Smith put on bouts around South Bend, at venues such as Playland Park, drawing enthusiastic crowds for rising amateur fighters. From his Notre Dame days, Verly Smith expanded his clientele to the businessmen of South Bend, serving individuals and classes at the gymna- sium he opened at 228 South Michigan Street. Smith, noted the Tribune, was "a popular figure to local sports enthu- siasts. [He] has an unusually thorough training routine, with efficient equip- ment … and his patrons are all enthusi- astic as to his extraordinary capabilities as a conditioner." Smith told the newspaper: "They come to me by the dozens, each want- ing to know how he can cut down his waist measurement. And it's easy if they follow instructions: regular games of handball every day or so, alcoholic rubs, massages and properly regulated diets will do the work." Smith eventually moved to Culver, Ind., where he operated a "health farm" offering physical rejuvenation to anyone suffering from pain or injury. Upon his death in 1948, the South Bend Tribune wrote: "South Bend sports fans heard with the greatest regret yesterday that Verly Smith, Negro trainer of Notre Dame teams of a quarter century ago, had died of a heart attack in his home near Cul- ver. Always interested in the welfare of boys, regardless of creed or color, Verly had frequently volunteered his services to help the youngsters. " T h e l a te K n u te Ro c k n e re cog - nized Verly's talents and hired him as a trainer for his Notre Dame foot- ball teams of the early '20s, including the celebrated Four Horsemen team. As a result of that association, Verly brought out the 'Four Horsemen Lini- ment' which he had used so success- fully on Notre Dame football players, and the product is still selling on the market. "Of late years Verly had conducted a health farm near Culver, and his es- tablishment was widely patronized by South Bend men who had long known and respected him. "Verly Smith richly adorned the field of athletics which he served so long and well, and his passing will be noted with regret by a wide circle of friends." ✦ For more informa on, please visit: www.RockneSociety.org Tuesday, Oct. 8 - 6:30 p.m. Brown County Library, Green Bay, Wis. "Jim Crowley: From Green Bay East to a Notre Dame Four Horseman" A presenta on of the 36th Annual Local History Series Friday, Oct. 11 - 1:30 - 3 p.m. Hammes Book Store, Notre Dame, Ind. Book Signing — Special Centennial Commemora ve Edi on Loyal Sons: The Story of The Four Horsemen and Notre Dame Football's 1924 Champions Please Join Us For These Special Events Friday, Oct. 11 - 7 p.m. McKenna Hall, Notre Dame, Ind. "100 Years of Irish quarterbacks, star ng with Harry Stuhldreher" Featuring appearances by notable Notre Dame quarterbacks Friday, Oct. 18 - 2 p.m. College Football Hall of Fame, Atlanta, Ga. "A Century Ago Today: Outlined against a blue-gray October sky..." The famous 1924 Notre Dame-Army game is commemorated Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jim@ndfootballhistory.com