Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/76097
Former Colt turns to writing in his post-football life BY DAN MURPHY practice at Notre Dame. Smith came to South Bend in 1995 as a three-sport star from Sherman, Texas, a two-time all-state quarterback and a coveted prospect. He also had a pretty strong right leg. Smith knew that Lou Holtz and the H unter Smith's football career changed drastically during his first week of Hunter Smith, 1995-98 Punter WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? Irish thought he could help the team as a punter during his freshman year. They told him as much on his recruiting visit. He was also under the impression that kicking would eventually be a side note to his career as a quarterback or wide re- ceiver, or some other position that prop- erly took advantage of his athletic ability. But Holtz snuck up behind Smith as he was punting during the first week of practice and told the freshman he had the starting job. He kept it for all 45 games of his Irish career, and eventu- ally the idea of playing another position faded away. Smith said it was frustrating that he never got a real shot at earning an- other position, but he's not holding any grudges. "[Holtz] told me, 'One of these days you're going to punt for 10 years in the NFL, and I don't want to be the coach Smith punted for 12 years in the NFL — 10 with the Indianapolis Colts and two with the Washington Redskins. PHOTO COURTESY DARRIN GRAY AUGUST 2012 112