When former USF defensive end Kirk Livingstone consults with a patient, there's usually an obvious question when he enters the examination room.

"Wow, do you play football?''

Livingstone, 6-foot-4, 285 pounds, is quick to smile.

"Well, I used to.''

Livingstone said he'll always be a prideful Bull and he enjoyed the best of times from 2015-19, playing in three consecutive bowl games and posting a pair of 10-plus win seasons. The five-time academic all-conference selection was named to the Academic All-District team in 2018 and graduated with a 3.6 grade-point average in health sciences while posting 140 tackles, 31.0 tackles for loss, 11.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries on his career. 
 
But after Sunday afternoon's graduation ceremony at the Yuengling Center, when Livingstone receives his Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree, he will embark on his new path.

It's actually the life he envisioned as a 10-year-old. Playing in the NFL? Nope. Even when the day's highlight was playing ball with his rambunctious buddies, Livingstone dreamed of becoming a pediatrician.

He since adjusted his goal to physician assistant (PA), which is a licensed medical professional that provides direct patient care while diagnosing and treating common illnesses. It's a fast-growing, high-paying option in the medical field and a rigorously competitive academic program. Typically, USF's PA school receives 1,000 annual applications. Only 50 are accepted.

"Kirk gave his all to his teammates on the field, he gave his all in the classroom and as he becomes a health-care clinician, he's going to give everything he has to his patients,'' said Kevin Sneed, dean of USF's pharmacy school, who has served as a mentor for student-athletes. "Sunday will be a meaningful reward for the values his parents instilled in him, the work ethic he has always displayed at USF and the genuine caring for people that he will bring into his career.''

Livingstone, who attended Fort Lauderdale Stranahan High School's medical magnet program and earned his USF undergraduate degree in health science, sometimes watches YouTube highlights of his Bulls career, particularly the high-profile victories against major conference opponents such as South Carolina, Texas Tech, Georgia Tech and Illinois. It's a fleeting thought: Should he have pursued professional football?

"I miss the crazy little things, like joking around in the locker room, going to the movies with my teammates, hanging out in the hotel the night before a game, just being part of the football family,'' Livingstone said. "Sometimes, I struggle with the things I'm not a part of any longer. But for all the moments that seem difficult, when you realize you're not an athlete anymore, there's so much excitement over what's to come.

"The academic path I chose, while keeping up with all the demands of college football, it definitely was not something very common. But to me, that's not necessarily a big deal. The structure, discipline and hard work of football was its own reward. It's part of my story. But it's not the only part of my story.''

Livingstone said his approach was shaped by his parents — Jamaican natives Dave and Marion Livingstone — who built careers as a civil engineer and a nurse. They emphasized good grades — there were no sports opportunities without A's and B's — along with time management and having a heart for other people.

Livingstone, who is exploring positions in the Northeast, possibly in endocrinology or urology, said pediatrics remains a long-term interest.

"When we were doing the back-to-school physicals, you'd see a 6-year-old sitting on Kirk's lap, so that he could give them an immunization in their arm,'' said Larry Collins, associate director of USF's PA program. "Kirk is a big man. And you'd see him talking this kid down to not being so afraid. He just had his rapport with little kids. It was exciting to see.''

"One of the biggest, baddest men on the football field is now like a soft teddy bear around those kids,'' Sneed said. "It just makes you proud.''

Livingstone said he remained focused on becoming a pediatrician a few years into his USF undergraduate studies, but there was a quick shift when he learned about PA school.

"What drew me to it was the flexibility and the ability to switch specialties,'' Livingstone said. "I have two or three specialties that really interest me. Also, the work-life balance is a big, big, big thing for me. There's a big change in thinking because of the amount of schooling needed for a doctor, the stress, the (school) loans, all of that. Becoming a PA seemed like a better fit and I'm really happy with it.''

Collins, an associate professor of orthopedics and sports medicine who is a regular presence on USF's football sideline, said he was encouraged by Livingstone's PA interest. But due to the competitive nature of USF's admissions process, there were no guarantees.

"Once the admissions committee studied him, they were impressed and felt he was the kind of person we want here in our program,'' Collins said. "Honestly, he was a bit of a slow starter and the beginning of his program is very challenging. But he quickly adapted to the pace, probably in the same manner that he did with football.

"He was one of the leaders in his class with outside-of-classroom volunteer activities like back to school and health fairs, giving vaccines and performing physicals. In his clinical year, in hospital settings, in surgical settings, working alongside the physicians and taking care of patients, Kirk got glowing reviews from all of his preceptors. He was always able to balance the demands of being a student-athlete and that ability to handle it all made him a solid student that was sought by programs like ours. A lot is asked and you must be able to quickly adapt and manage your time.''

Sometimes, Livingstone thinks back to USF football practices on the days when he was dog-tired. The heat was relentless. The coaches were unyielding. Even in those moments, he always found a way to give more.

So not much has changed. Livingstone will be challenged daily by an urgent pace and a sliding scale of priorities that requires quick decisions. It's not for everyone. But for Livingstone, it's the difference-making profession that he considered his destiny.

"I don't think it will actually hit me that I'm graduating until Sunday,'' Livingstone said. "I think at that moment, I might say to myself, 'Hey, you actually did this.' It has been a long, long road with lots of work. I'm in the real world now. But you know what? I can't wait.''

– #GoBulls –