Hononegah Grit to Lambeau Lights: Kurt Smith Walks On at Notre Dame

There’s a special kind of pride that ripples through our community when one of our own steps onto college football’s biggest stage.

This weekend, that pride wears gold. Former Hononegah Indians standout Kurt Smith has officially made the Notre Dame Fighting Irish roster as a walk-on running back, earning a spot on a squad with its sights firmly set on a national championship.

Smith, wearing number 37, will be on the sidelines—and potentially in the backfield when Notre Dame faces off against the Wisconsin Badgers at Lambeau Field for the 2026 Shamrock Series. The highly anticipated matchup kicks off at 6:30 p.m. this Sunday, Sept. 6, and will be broadcast nationally on NBC and Peacock.

Listed at a compact, powerful 5-foot-9 and 187 pounds, Smith’s journey from the NIC-10 to South Bend is a testament to the exact kind of blue-collar work ethic we build here in our local programs. Hononegah fans remember him as an absolute force of nature—a star two-way football player and wrestler who flat-out dominated the conference.

He was named the NIC-10 Defensive MVP in 2023 and followed that up with a breathtaking senior campaign, sweeping both Offensive and Defensive MVP honors in 2024 for the NIC-10 champion Indians. But his motor never stopped at the chalk lines; Smith maintained a flawless 4.0 unweighted GPA (4.8 weighted), graduated fifth in his class, and earned a well-deserved spot on the 2025 IHSA All-State Academic Team.

When I spoke with Hononegah Head Football Coach Brian Zimmerman about Smith’s leap to Division I football, the coach's pride in his former player was unmistakable.

"You know, that kid is just, he's all grit and intelligence," Zimmerman told me. "So for him to be able to make that squad... a team that is looking at a national championship perhaps. And last I saw, it looked like he was the number four running back, and there's like three guys behind him. So, if he gets any opportunities, he's blessed. I just think he's an incredible young man, and I wish him all the best."

For Coach Zimmerman, Smith is the ultimate blueprint. When I asked if Smith is the player every Hononegah Indian should aspire to be, his answer was immediate.

"Yeah, just the person that he is, and how he plays with intelligence," Zimmerman said. "He's just one of the toughest kids, I think, that I've been around in football."

So, when you settle in front of the television or your phone this Sunday night for the Shamrock Series, keep your eyes peeled for number 37. The box score won’t tell you the whole story, but anyone from Rockton or Roscoe knows the truth: the Fighting Irish just got themselves one of the toughest kids to ever lace up cleats in the NIC-10.

Thank You to Kurt Smith for use of these incredible image. you can follow Kurt on his Instagram page at kurtsmith_27