Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH ECHOES JIM LEFEBVRE 50 SEPT. 20, 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED I t's hard to imagine someone who was more involved in a greater va- riety of activities while a student at Notre Dame than Knute Rockne. He was a star varsity athlete in football and track, but that was just the start of his involvement. He also participated in intramural sports as a baseball player and rower. Rockne also went off campus to compete as an amateur boxer and later started what became the Bengal Bouts. He played flute in the Notre Dame orchestra and performed a wide variety of roles in campus theatrical produc- tions. In 1912, he was a student leader in the presidential campaign of Woodrow Wilson. Rockne contributed to campus publications. All that while recording an average of 92 or more in a heavy load of mostly scientific coursework. A little more than 50 years after Rockne trod the paths of Notre Dame as a student, another multi-talented fellow came along. And what Bill Hurd has done with his life is extraordinary, to say the least. On Sept. 19, Dr. Bill Hurd will receive the 2025 Rockne Inspiration Award at the ninth annual Knute Rockne Spirit of Sports Awards Celebration at The History Museum of South Bend. From record-breaking sprints on the track to life-changing work in ophthal- mology, Dr. Hurd's life story is more than just a chronicle of achievements — it's an inspiring testament to overcoming obsta- cles, breaking barriers and using one's gifts to uplift others. He tells his story in his recently published autobiography, "Mem- phis to Madagascar: My Life in Focus." Bill Hurd grew up in segregated Mem- phis, becoming a track star at all-Black Manassas High School. By the time he was a senior, he had run the 100-yard dash in 9.3 seconds, then an unofficial national high school record. In addition, he won consecutive city- wide math contests, completed two ad- vanced placement courses, was elected senior class president and became the battalion commander of the National Defense Cadet Corps. His story made the cover of JET magazine in 1965. For college, he was ready to attend MIT on a full academic scholarship. But the interest from major universi- ties due to his track prowess got in the way. UCLA and 1960 Olympic decath- lon champion Rafer Johnson made an offer. Villanova, then a track power, was there with a personal pitch. And then there was Notre Dame. Alex Wilson, for decades a major force in track, made a trip to Memphis to watch Hurd run in a track meet. "I was very impressed that a head track coach would travel all the way from Notre Dame just to see me com- pete," Hurd recalled. "Ultimately, the choice was easy." Life at nearly all-white Notre Dame was, Hurd said, "at first, somewhat of a culture shock. But I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of. I felt just as prepared to succeed at Notre Dame as anyone else — maybe more so." Among the Black upperclassmen who looked out for Hurd's well-being was Alan Page, an All-America defensive end and, Hurd said, "my designated barber." With some effort, Hurd was able to ar- range his schedule in electrical engineer- ing to be able to compete on the track team and continue to pursue one of his lifelong passions — performing music. On a spring evening in 1967, after a track workout at the Athletic and Con- vocation Center, Hurd was approached by Ara Parseghian, who introduced himself — "as if I didn't already know who he was" — and asked Hurd if he'd like to be part of the Fighting Irish football team, then defending national champions. Hurd had never played high school football because his dad was concerned about his safety. "Without hesitation, I said yes," said Hurd, who took jersey No. 14 and played wide receiver for one season, as a backup to All-American Jim Sey- mour. "I caught a few passes from Terry Hanratty and Coley O'Brien and thor- oughly enjoyed being a small part of the mystical Notre Dame football history." By Hurd's senior year, his list of ac- complishments was substantial. He had been selected Notre Dame Athlete of the Year 1968; was named the track team captain; held the American record in the indoor 300-yard dash; held several Notre Dame track records, two of which still stand today (100 meters in 10.1 sec- onds and 200 meters in 20.3 seconds); and won the outstanding saxophone soloist award at the 1967 Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival. He was also nominated by Rev. Theo- dore Hesburgh to be a Rhodes Scholar. But Hurd would remain stateside, go- ing to grad school at his original dream school, MIT, and its Sloan School of Management. The business education prepared him for involvement in the in- cubation of several minority business ventures in Nashville, including the es- tablishment of a minority-owned-and- operated medical center. Eventually, he found his way to Nash- ville's Meharry Medical College, where he became an ophthalmologist. In 1982, as a resident physician under the guidance of the renowned Dr. Jerre Freeman, Dr. Hurd began participating in medical missions to medically underserved countries. The first trip, to Ometepec in southern Mex- Dr. Bill Hurd: The Definition Of A Notre Dame 'Renaissance Man' At Notre Dame, Hurd was named the track team captain and set several school records — two of which still stand today (100 meters in 10.1 seconds and 200 meters in 20.3 seconds). PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS