Story Poster
Photo by Rick Kimball/ISD
Notre Dame Football

Bivin's ND Gold Going Global

February 7, 2020
8,268

When Hunter Bivin led a trio of Notre Dame players earlier this week to deliver the savory winnings from the Fighting Irish’s thumping of Iowa State in the Camping World Bowl, it was just like old times.

Now Notre Dame’s Director of Player Development, Bivin just a few years ago as a player was a frequent visitor to the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.

“I remember back when I was a player we used to come to the food bank all the time,” Bivin said, as Irish players Shaun Crawford, Justin Ademilola and Liam Eichenberg helped unload nearly 2,700 pounds of pork courtesy Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ lost best. “We’re always looking for ways to get involved in the community. Marijo (Martinec) here at the Food Bank of Northern Indiana has always been great, finding ways for our guys to get involved with what they do. It’s a mutual relationship, so it’s been great.”

It is, simply, a sliver of Bivin’s G.O.L.D. Standard program; Growth, Opportunity and Life Development.

Next month, Bivin will lead several Notre Dame players to New York during spring break. A couple months later, the Irish are positioned to send players to Asia, Europe and South America for study abroad programs.

“We’re really trying to drive home the career development discernment initiatives this spring,” Bivin said. “We’ve got a trip coming up this spring break, we’re taking our guys to New York and taking them to a few different companies in New York, having them spend some time and hear some different presentations of different industries; the media industry, finance, real estate. We’ve got some really exciting things coming up. …

“Brazil, Milan, Russia, Greece and Japan are the five this year. We’ve got some good options for our guys. We try to keep it different so guys can go to different countries and experience different cultures and things like that.”

Former Notre Dame team captain Sam Mustipher isn’t remotely surprised at the impact and elevation of the program by his former teammate Bivin, whose career at Notre Dame was cut short due to medical reasons.

“There’s a million things I can say about Hunter,” Mustipher told IrishSportsDaily. “Ultimate teammate, ultimate person. He took a career that was cut short due to causes outside of his control and now dominates a role which is critical in the development of young men at the one of the toughest places to be a student-athlete.

“When you take a look at the speakers he brought in and the G.O.L.D. Standard social media campaign, he’s already making a huge impact on the program. He transitioned so effortlessly because he’s always been that guy that you can count on.”

Bivin deflects credit; he points to the global reach of the Notre Dame brand and the quality individuals that comprise the Irish program.

“Absolutely it really drives that home,” Bivin said of the Notre Dame network. “We can reach out to any company we want, and they’re chomping at the bit to have our guys in and just expose them to their company and expose them to their industry. Really help further that brand and further show the Notre Dame network truly is what it’s intended to be and what it’s branded to be.

“I probably have the easiest player-development job in the country just because we have a locker room full of guys who are always more than willing to do things like this and get involved in the community and are chomping at the bit to more than just a football player. They understand that Notre Dame is so much more than just being a football player. They really want to grow that, enhance that and use the University for all that it’s worth.”

 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.