Mike Graves is a senior safety out of Los Angeles, California. As his senior season comes to a close, he described what it was like to arrive at Notre Dame and join the team in his first year. Graves said he tries to recreate that each year, and he loves meeting the new guys.
“I mean,” Graves said. “My favorite part of being a team and being on the team is just like the camaraderie, of all my teammates and just the bond that you formed with them throughout the entire season. That’s pretty special. How you can bring like 120 plus guys together and like, not know a lot of them like on the very first day and then by the end of the year like you’re all brothers. That's pretty awesome.”
He really was able to appreciate the camaraderie last year on Nov. 7. Graves said his favorite moment with the team had to be the win over Clemson. After double overtime, the Irish came away with the 47-40 win.
“Last year, when we beat them at home, that was incredible,” Graves said. “You could just like feel the stadium shaking, electricity in the air. That was awesome.”
Graves was able to take advantage of the dorm life on campus as well and grow his relationships there too. He said the guys from O'Neill became a major part of who he is today.
“I mean, I was you know, in O’Neill, so you know, that’s the dorm you’re in is like a very big part of like, your identity as a student here,” Graves said. “So I was in there for three years and just you know, I can’t really think of any like specific moment within there but just like the brotherhood and the memories formed with all the guys I lived with, you know, I’m living off-campus with six other of my buddies from O’Neill right now. So just hanging out with them and going through this whole college experience together was pretty, pretty fun and awesome.”
As he is preparing to leave campus, Graves isn’t sure of his next steps, but with a degree in economics from the College of Arts and Letters, he has a few ideas in mind.
“I’m still figuring it out,” he said. “I don't have a job lined up yet, but I’m, you know, interested in investing and that’s what I want to do. I want to go into some sort of job in that like general space. Again, investment banking right now. And hopefully, one day I'll work in venture capital.”
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Graves was a cornerback and that he was pursuing a degree in finance. He is a senior safety pursuing a degree in economics. The Observer deeply regrets this error.
