On December 10, Jon Rhoades of The Big Ten Huddle shared a swirl of rumors, much of it traced back to Justin Spiro (Host of “The Spiro Avenue Show”), who first broke news about former head coach Sherrone Moore. Spiro had been hinting since mid-August, even before the season began, that Moore could face serious trouble or even be fired by the University of Michigan. After the Ohio State game, Spiro predicted Moore’s dismissal could come within a week or as late as two months. The heart of the rumor is that Moore was fired due to an alleged relationship with Paige Shiver, his executive assistant, who was promoted when Moore took over for Jim Harbaugh. Now, the latest twist claims Shiver is pregnant and that Moore is confirmed as the father. Paige Shiver’s news has sent shock waves through cyberspace. But Shiver’s ties to football run deeper than college sidelines. She is the daughter of Jeff Shiver, a respected NFL scout. To understand her father’s story, let’s revisit Dan Pompei’s 2019 biographical interview in The Athletic.
Jeff Shiver was cooking a hamburger when he got a call about joining the Chicago Bears
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On a spring day in 1987, Jeff Shiver was flipping a hamburger in his Lafayette, Indiana, kitchen when the phone rang with a call that would change his life. Bill Tobin, the Chicago Bears’ personnel chief, was on the line, offering Shiver a chance to join the NFL’s scouting ranks. At the time, Shiver was earning $18,000 a year as a BLESTO scout, but Tobin’s offer of $25,000 felt like striking gold. Shiver eagerly accepted, feeling as if he had just won the lottery. As they sealed the deal with a handshake, Tobin promised, “You’re going to be with the Bears a long time.” More than three decades later, Shiver is still a fixture in Chicago, outlasting every other personnel man in the team’s hundred-year history. Only Scott DiStefano has served (five years) longer as a continuously employed NFL scout for the Denver Broncos. From fullback Brad Muster in 1988 to running back David Montgomery in 2019, Shiver has played a role in every Bears draft pick.“Jeff worked out even better than I thought,” Tobin said via The Athletic in 2019. “He’s a wonderful person and damn good scout. He’s been a giant in the scouting industry.”“I think the world of him,” said former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo. “I don’t know of anybody more respected and or revered in the scouting business than Jeff. I saw it from afar when I was with other teams, and I saw it firsthand when I got to Chicago. Whatever he says, you can take it to the bank.”
Jeff Shiver credits his wife Laura for his three-decade-long commitment to Bears front office
Shiver credits his impeccable endurance to his faith and to Laura, his wife of 34 years (at the time of the 2019 The Athletic interview, now they’ve been together for roughly 40 long years). “It’s a hard job,” Shiver said. “To be able to do it begins with a great wife. Not once did I walk in the front door and hear her complain about me not being there.” Laura’s patience is all the more monumental given that Shiver spends up to 275 nights a year away from home, crisscrossing the country in his Ford Edge and tallying about 30,000 miles annually. Life on the road has brought him moments of pure bliss, like hearing, “Honey, I think I’m pregnant,” and heartache, like learning, “Your brother-in-law was in a car accident, and he didn’t make it.” His fondest travel memories are the late-night phone calls from his young children, Brittany, John, Paige, and Nicole, soft voices asking, “Dad, when are you coming home?”
David Montgomery reminds Jeff Shiver of Matt Forte
The former Bears general manager, Ryan Pace, told The Athletic in 2019 that Shiver’s experience on the staff is invaluable. Think about the relationships he’s built and the resources he has. He can call people and get information that a younger scout can’t. He also has a mental library of players. In a draft meeting, he’ll quickly point out when one player reminds him of another and explain why. Sometimes, he’ll mention players from way back that nobody else remembers. David Montgomery reminds Shiver a bit of Matt Forte. He does a great job of describing players. He has a million one-liners that make everyone laugh. He brings passion and energy while keeping things fun.Rod Graves, the former Bears personnel director, told The Athletic in 2019 that he always relied on Jeff for core evaluation. He would be shocked if Ryan (Pace) and those who followed did not lean on Jeff in the same way. Shiver was the definition of dependability, an astute evaluator, and someone Graves trusted without a doubt. Few people ranked higher on his list, both as friends and as professionals. Graves has only praise for Shiver and says with complete honesty that he loves the man.
Jeff Shiver always appreciates everyone he encounters
Dan Pompei of The Athletic revealed in 2019 that one of the earliest and most profound lessons Shiver absorbed as an NFL scout was to appreciate everyone he encountered, not just those with influence or something to offer. He made it a point to value the everyday people: the gas station attendant, the custodian, the security guard. Shiver’s philosophy was simple: the mission never outweighs the people you meet along the way: “The mission never is greater than the people you come in contact with.” Pompei also painted a picture of Shiver’s upbringing, shaped by his late parents, John and Myrtle. Jeff inherited his strong work ethic from his father, who spent over 80 years as an auto mechanic at Shiver’s Auto Service, often working twelve-hour days, six days a week. During World War II, John served as a flight engineer and gunner in the Army Air Corps. Meanwhile, Myrtle managed the books and cared for Jeff and his two sisters.Talking to Pompei in 2019, Jeff said he still feels his mother’s love when he bakes her Sour Cream Pound Cake. And when the call came that brought him to the Bears’ front office, he was in the middle of cooking a hamburger. Distracted by the life-changing news, he burned it, but as he told Pompei, it was still the best burger he ever tasted: “By far, the best burger I ever tasted.” Jeff Shiver currently serves as Executive Scout for the Chicago Bears. Since 1987, Shiver has been a staunch presence with the Bears. His decades of commitment were commemorated in February 2020, when he received the first-ever C.O. Brocato Award for Distinguished Service to Scouting. This prestigious honor pays tribute to a legendary scout who dedicated four decades to the Houston Oilers, now known as the Tennessee Titans, and inspired countless others in the profession. “It’s such an honor, it’s beyond belief,” Shiver said in his acceptance speech at the Indiana Convention Center.Also Read: Is Paige Shiver pregnant? Could a secret pregnancy from Sherrone Moore’s ‘inappropriate relationship’ have triggered the Michigan Coach’s downfall? Here’s what we know so far
