Despite being the daughter of long-time Chicago Bears scout Jeff Shiver, Paige Shiver had her own battles in college football operations. She found her way to serve at the University of Michigan athletics department, all while battling a rare muscle disorder. The same disorder that would make a small task like running very difficult.

Early life and background

Growing up in a football household shaped Paige Shiver’s understanding of the sport from an early age. Her father, Jeff Shiver, has been a fixture in NFL scouting circles for decades. And her uncle, Emerson Kampen III, is an analyst and former basketball player at Butler University. This athletic pedigree gave her unique insights into the inner workings of football operations. 

Paige attended Purdue University, where she pursued her degree in retail management, all while maintaining an active lifestyle. However, in 2015, during her junior year at Purdue, her life took an unexpected turn. At the time, she had a marketing internship in Baton Rouge, LA, and began experiencing severe exhaustion and body-wide pain. She was diagnosed with Pompe disease, a muscle disorder that impairs the ability of muscles to function normally.

Her career path and work in College Football

After graduating from Purdue, Shiver transitioned into collegiate athletics administration with experience in NGO management, development, and fundraising for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She joined the University of Michigan program in November 2021 as the On-Campus Recruiting & Football Operations Coordinator. Her responsibilities in this role involved coordinating recruiting visits, managing operational logistics, and supporting the football program’s day-to-day functions. 

In February 2024, she was promoted to executive assistant to the head coach, a position that involved high-level administrative coordination, staff communication, and support during critical recruiting cycles. This saw an incredible jump in her salary from $58,025 to $90,000 in 2024-25.

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Jeff Shiver: A look at her father’s long career

Paige Shivers gets her administrative acumen from her father. Jeff Shiver has built one of the longest tenures in Chicago Bears history as a scout. He’s been with the organization since 1987, marking nearly 40 years of service to the franchise. In 2019, Shiver was recognized as having been a full-time scout with the Bears longer than any personnel man in the team’s 100-year history. His contributions to the organization were formally recognized when he received the inaugural C.O. Brocato Award for Distinguished Service to Scouting. 

Currently serving as an executive scout, Jeff Shiver has been described by colleagues as “a wonderful human being” and among the best talent evaluators on the planet. His expertise has been instrumental in numerous Bears draft decisions, including providing scouting reports that influenced the team’s selections across multiple draft classes.​

How Jeff Shiver influenced Paige’s football journey

Growing up with a father who dedicated his life to evaluating football talent gave Paige an education in the sport that few others receive. When Paige was diagnosed with Pompe disease in 2015, the Chicago Bears organization rallied around their scout’s family. They profiled Paige’s battle in 2016 to raise awareness about the condition. This connection to the Bears community through her father provided support during her most difficult moments. 

Paige Shiver’s growing presence in the sports community

Despite the daily challenges posed by Pompe disease, Paige has established herself as a capable professional in college football operations. Her journey from a college student who struggled to run for more than five minutes to now, a respected member of the Michigan athletics staff, shows great perseverance. She wrote in a letter shared by the Bears in 2016, “Every day is a battle.” But she has continued to build her career while managing a condition that causes debilitating pain throughout her body.