Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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12 OCT. 23, 2021 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED UNDER THE DOME BGI: What was your experience like at Michigan? Shibley: "My time at Michigan was a really great experience. I came in as a preferred walk-on and worked my way up. By the end of my career I was able to start a game at linebacker and earned a scholarship. But I was ready for a change." BGI: What was it about Notre Dame that lured you to South Bend? Shibley: "As I applied to different graduate schools, Notre Dame was at the top of my list. Grow- ing up, I was always a huge Irish fan. I kept that in the back of my mind as I went through college and knew it was a possibility. "Once I got accepted, it was a no-brainer for me. I wanted to put on that golden dome. I was able to talk with Brian Polian, the special teams coordinator, and he got me a spot on the team. I had to jump on it. This is my lifelong dream, and I finally get to live it out." BGI: What is that like, being able to live out your dream? Is it everything you ever dreamed of? Shibley: "Yes, it definitely is. Just the first day I sat in on a team meeting when I first got here in the summer, the culture was just sticking out right away. The guys here are so focused and so de- termined to be great. Not just in football but in everything they do on and off the field. High-character people. "It's really a brotherhood, and that's stressed day in and day out. I feel like I've been accepted and welcomed with warm arms. Everyone has taken me in so nicely. I'm really thankful to be here. Playing for this team has been every- thing I can ask for." BGI: What is your fondest memory at Notre Dame so far? Shibley: "Well, obviously my first time putting on the uniform for the Florida State game — that was just an unbelievable atmosphere — that sticks out. But I would say when we played in Chicago against Wisconsin, you see all the alumni and all the Notre Dame fans, it's truly a global logo, university and team. "Everything this place stands for is appreciated globally. You just see all those people in Chicago, and we were able to beat Wisconsin. It was a perfect day. That really sticks out, too." BGI: What was it like getting a few snaps at linebacker in the game against Wisconsin? Shibley: " I t wa s really special. Com- ing in, I definitely had some hopes of playing some linebacker. We're so talented and deep at that position. A few guys suffer some inju- ries and next thing you know I'm taking some reps in practice at linebacker. "I was just trying to learn the play- book as fast as I could. To get those in- game reps, even though it was only two plays, it still helped me in my progres- sion, and I feel much more comfortable because I got to go in." BGI: What has your experience been like on special teams? Shibley: "The biggest thing that Coach Polian stresses is our attack mindset and the violence we play with on special teams. That's something I've really taken to heart this year and tried to find within myself — being a super- aggressive player on special teams and doing everything I can to help the team. "I've accepted my role. I'm starting on four special teams units now and doing everything I can to help in any way I can." BGI: What did you study at Michi- gan, and what are you doing academi- cally at Notre Dame? Shibley: "My undergraduate degree was in communications and media, so I really honed in on public speaking and taking rhetoric classes. I wasn't satis- fied with that and wanted to push my- self to get a degree in business, so I'm currently in the Master of Science in Management [MSM] program which fo- cuses on finance, accounting, manage- ment and marketing. "It's definitely been a tough course load balancing it with football, but I've gotten it down and I'm settling in. I've enjoyed the program. It's been great learning from professors with a ton of professional experience. All my class- mates are from across the country. They went to different universities, so it's been a really great experience." BGI: You won the Big Ten Medal of Honor. How does one receive such a prestigious award? Shibley: "It's one of the highest awards you can get as a student-athlete in the Big Ten. They honor one male and one female from the senior class each year. It commemorates your work as a student- athlete on the field and off the field. "The main reason I was able to get it was through my foundation I started my sophomore year of college. It's called 'TUFF' — The Uniform Funding Foun- dation. We provide uniforms, equip- ment and mentorship to underserved youth athletes across the globe. We've been able to affect over 4,000 kids and raise $255,000. "It's been a really great project that I've been able to work on with team- mates at Michigan and Notre Dame. I'm really looking to grow the presence in the Notre Dame community this year for TUFF as well." ✦ Shibley transferred to Notre Dame from Michigan, where he was a three- time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was a semifinalist for the 2020 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME ATHLETICS W A L K - O N P L A Y E R S U N I O N WOPU WOPU SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT BY TYLER HORKA Q&A With Graduate Student Linebacker Adam Shibley