A discreet-looking, black Mercedes sprinter van is parked exterior the mansion of Miami Dolphins’ star broad receiver Tyreek Hill. Upon nearer inspection, nonetheless, it tells its personal story.
Imprinted on one of many blacked-out home windows is the emblem of a menacing hurricane wielding clippers and a pair of scissors. On the again two panes are inscribed the phrases “Barber of the athletes,” and the tires have the van homeowners’ social media deal with “@canesbarber.”
As spectacular as it’s on the skin, it solely will get higher contained in the vans’ doorways, taking a look at a completely practical barbershop. Murals of Miami athletes and their memorabilia cowl the partitions, replicas of the UM turnover chains are strung up, and in the midst of all of it is a golden throne of a barber chair.
The car’s proprietor is Steven Rivera, who has additionally been the crew barber for the Dolphins since 2011. He’s believed to be one of many first, if not the primary barber to have a station arrange inside an NFL crew’s apply facility. In addition to the van, gifted to him by consumer and Miami backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, he additionally has his personal store “Sebastian’s,” named after UM’s mascot. After all, it was a few Miami Hurricanes soccer gamers who actually inspired him to start out being profitable chopping hair.
“It’s a blessing,” Rivera mentioned. “Always when players come in and get drafted or traded to the Dolphins, one of the first things they ask is ‘Who cuts hair well around here?’ or ‘What are the hot spots to eat at?’ It’s one of the first things you ask coming to the city, and I feel like that’s pretty cool, [being that guy].”
Eventually, Hill climbs into the van, sits down on the throne and the haircut begins, sounds of clippers buzzing and lightweight dialog encompass him as Rivera, sporting a Mike Pouncey jersey, offers him a shadow fade, making his hairline as crisp as his route operating.
The proven fact that Hill is sitting in his chair is proof that Rivera has develop into a foundational piece of the South Florida sports activities neighborhood. He has reduce the likes of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Heat star Tyler Herro, retired Dolphin Mike Pouncey and plenty of others. Rivera says his companies begin at about $100 and go up, partially relying on how far he must drive.
Rivera has been chopping Hill’s hair for about 4 years. So, when Hill bought traded to the Dolphins on March 23, discovering a South Florida barber was one much less factor he wanted to fret about, since he was already residing in Florida.
“It’s very important to me,” Hill mentioned of getting a barber he can belief. “Especially as a result of I’m very big in style. So, all of my items look good, I additionally want my hair to look good. I want my hair to match with my items; they must be on the identical wavelength.
“So, Steve, like every time I text him, it could be at 3 a.m., he’ll come through. He’ll be like ‘I’m tired but I’m coming,’ so he always comes through for me.”
Getting his begin
A Miami native, Rivera, 35, took his first steps in barbering at a younger age. The son of a hairdresser, he would seize shaving razors and attempt to line himself up. Eventually he started chopping the hair of mates and a few household, however nothing skilled.
However, after being let go from his job in legislation enforcement when he was 20, Rivera was at a low level in his life. He took a minimum- wage job at Best Buy. His household was evicted from their condominium in Cutler Ridge.
That’s when two of his mates, former UM soccer gamers Javarris James and Lance Leggett, helped him take his first large steps into his skilled profession.
“They were like ‘Steve, you know how to cut, we see what you can do,’” Rivera recalled. “’Why don’t we just bring you to campus, you can set up in the hallways at Mahoney [Hall],’ ― that’s one of the dorm rooms at the University of Miami. … All it took was that one moment and me setting up in the middle of the hallway at the dorm rooms, cutting, and it was like every 30 minutes someone wanted a haircut. It was a domino effect, and it just took off from there.”
Ahead of a matchup towards the Oklahoma Sooners in 2009, Hurricanes quarterback Jacory Harris had Rivera reduce the phrases “U Swag” into the facet of his head. After UM’s 21-20 win, then-ESPN reporter Erin Andrews requested Harris who did the design, and he shouted out Rivera on nationwide TV.
From there, phrase of Rivera’s abilities unfold, and he started chopping some gamers from the University of Florida nationwide championship crew, like Pouncey.
Eventually, Pouncey bought drafted by the Dolphins and related him with the remainder of the crew, main him to the place he’s in the present day.
“I got a call from Kaleb Thornhill, at the time he was with player operations for the Dolphins,” Rivera mentioned. “[He said] ‘You’ve been referred by plenty of our gamers that you simply’re the man to go to on the subject of hair.’ … Man, I hung that telephone up and I used to be in tears. Like that is the second I’ve been ready for.
“And if it wasn’t for Mike Pouncey, Cameron Wake and Lamar Miller, two Hurricanes and one Gator, if it wasn’t for them, I don’t think I’d be inside that facility cutting all those players and coaches.”
Importance of a barber
As he turned a extra outstanding determine within the athlete barbering scene, Rivera appeared for mentorship.
He turned to legendary Miami barber, Hugo “Juice” Tandron, who has been chopping the hair of Marlins’ gamers since 1993 and have become the official crew barber in 1998. At the time, Tandron was the primary individual within the MLB to carry that title.
Tandron was keen to assist his younger apprentice and needed to train him some robust classes alongside the best way to his success, together with letting him go from his barbershop “Headz Up.”
Now, seeing how far Rivera has come, Tandron can’t assist however be happy with seeing every little thing Rivera has overcome.
“Steve will have a lot of faith that a lot of barbers don’t have throughout the years as he progresses,” Tandron mentioned. “Because he’s just that guy, he knows how to treat people the right way.”
“I see Steve as a young me, and that’s what’s great about it. He isn’t blood, but he’s family. I love him like a little brother. I’m super proud of him because that work ethic that he has, nobody can take away from him.”
More than anybody else, Tandron is aware of the worth of a crew barber and the nice qualities that Rivera brings to the career.
“What we do is a lifestyle,” he mentioned. “We’re marriage counselors to our clients, we’re a shoulder to cry on to our clients, psychologists to our clients. We do so much more than just cut hair.”
Miami eternally
As Rivera continues chopping Hill’s hair, extra of his tattoos develop into seen. There’s a Heat emblem on his bicep, the enduring “U” for the University of Miami on his leg. Sebastian the Ibis additionally makes an look, as does the 305 space code.
All the paintings demonstrates his deep connection to Miami and its sports activities groups.
And as he continues to develop and dream of future endeavors, proudly owning outlets and vans in different cities, his coronary heart will at all times be together with his residence and its individuals.
“All these guys, Hall of Famers, pro Hurricanes — I would put their newspaper clippings in my room like a poster of guys who I looked up to,” Rivera mentioned. “I was a diehard fan, still am. … I never thought in a million years that I would be cutting the likes of Tyreek Hill, Teddy Bridgewater, Deion Sanders. It’s a humbling experience.”
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com