A proposal, a pro day: In love and football, this Boise State receiver maps his future
Former Boise State wide receiver Khalil Shakir doesn’t get nervous very often, but his belly was full of butterflies on Tuesday.
Shakir was back in Boise for the school’s pro day to work out for NFL scouts, but he had other things on his mind, too. He took his longtime girlfriend to Lucky Peak and surprised her with an engagement ring. She said yes, but Shakir said he barely heard it.
“Honestly, I blacked out,” Shakir told reporters outside the Caven-Williams Sports Complex on Wednesday. “I don’t know what I said, but I know she said yes, and that was a blessing in itself.”
Shakir said he began planning his proposal before the Senior Bowl in February. His mom was in Boise to watch him work out at pro day, and she brought the ring with her. His fiancee’s parents were also there for the proposal, and his agents, Sam Mirza and Derek Hawkridge, even played a role — acting as photographer and videographer to capture the moment so Shakir can share it with his family in Florida.
Not to mention remember it himself.
“Her support means everything to me,” Shakir said of his fiancee. “She’s the reason I’m so mentally strong nowadays. Having a partner like her is a blessing, and I’m just happy I get to spend the rest of my life with her.”
Shakir — who led Boise State with 77 catches, 1,117 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions last season — admitted that he got a little nervous again Wednesday while working out in front of scouts or coaches from 21 NFL teams. The contingent included wide receivers coaches from the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, and former Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, who settled in Idaho after announcing his retirement from football in January 2021.
An overwhelming majority of the talent evaluators on campus were there to see Shakir, who ranks No. 5 at Boise State with 208 career receptions, No. 4 with 2,878 receiving yards and is tied for No. 9 with 20 receiving touchdowns.
And if Shakir was nervous, probably no one could tell. The three-time All-Mountain West pick looked smooth and explosive running routes and confident fielding simulated punts fired from a machine. He also cleared 38.5 inches in the vertical leap — improving on his performance from the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this month by 4 inches.
“At the end of the day, I’m going to leave it all on the field, and I’m happy with whatever it is,” Shakir said. “This process has been about checking boxes, and today I can check pro day off the list. Now I’m excited for what’s coming.”
The 6-foot, 196-pound native of Murrieta, California, didn’t run the 40-yard dash — opting to stick with the time of 4.43 seconds he posted at the NFL combine. Shakir did take his turn on the bench press, posting 16 reps at 225 pounds.
Next up for Shakir is a month full of Zoom calls with NFL teams leading up to the NFL Draft on April 28-30. Most draft analysts expect him to come off the board somewhere between rounds No. 2 and 4. Boise State has had at least one player drafted for 12 straight years.
Shakir said he plans to stay in Boise for a little while before heading to Pensacola, Florida, to spend the draft with his family.
Stetz powers through
Shakir held the attention of most of the scouts, but it was offensive lineman Jake Stetz who got the biggest ovation from his teammates and coaches in the Caven-Williams indoor facility.
Stetz — just four months removed from surgery to repair a torn meniscus and fractured tibial plateau in his right knee — powered down the 40-yard dash course, plodding confidently on his right leg, which was still in a compression sleeve, as the crowd cheered him on.
“I wanted to show my knee is good and I’m ready to go compete and make a camp,” Stetz said.
Stetz — a former walk-on who became a two-time All-Mountain West pick — covered the 40-yard dash course in 5.1 seconds and led all eight former Broncos with 28 reps on the bench press.
He said he plans to watch the draft with family at home in San Diego.
Habibi-Likio shows versatility
Wednesday’s event wasn’t the first time former Boise State running back Cyrus Habibi-Likio worked out for NFL scouts. He also attended San Jose State’s pro day on March 18, taking advantage of a rule that allows players to take part if they went to high school within 50 miles of the college.
Habibi-Likio, who is from Palo Alto, California, joined the Broncos last year after transferring from Oregon. He said he went into Boise State’s pro day with the same goal he had last season: to prove he’s more than the short-yardage back the Ducks used him as.
“I really wanted to show I’m versatile,” Habibi-Likio said. “I wanted to show I’m comfortable catching the ball, and I really wanted to show I can pass block and put a little aggression out there.”
Habibi-Likio finished his only season at Boise State No. 2 on the team with 374 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and No. 4 with 23 catches for 213 yards. The 5-11, 219-pound running back did a little bit of everything on Wednesday, too.
He took part in every workout, posting a 31.5-inch vertical leap and 4.58-second time in the 40. He also took part in individual drills designed for running backs and ran routes, catching passes from Boise State redshirt freshman quarterback Taylen Green.
Next up for Habibi-Likio, he said, is a long list of Zoom calls with NFL teams and a work out with the San Francisco 49ers on April 13.
Pro Day results
WR Khalil Shakir, 6-0, 196
Vertical leap: 38.5 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 4 inches
Bench press: 16 reps
OL Jake Stetz, 6-0, 302
Vertical leap: 22.5 inches
Broad jump: 7 feet, 9 inches
Bench press: 28 reps
40-yard dash: 5.1 seconds
3-cone drill: 7.88 seconds
Shuttle: 4.27 seconds
WR Octavius Evans, 6-0, 202
Vertical leap: 34.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 10 inches
Bench press: 9 reps
40-yard dash: 4.49 seconds
3-cone drill: 7.04 seconds
Shuttle: 3.95 seconds
Long snapper Daniel Cantrell, 6-0, 242
Vertical leap: 31 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 2 inches
Bench press: 20 reps
40-yard dash: 4.74 seconds
3-cone drill: 7.28 seconds
Shuttle: 4.32 seconds
RB Cyrus Habibi-Likio, 5-11, 219
Vertical leap: 31.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 5 inches
Bench press: 15 reps
40-yard dash: 4.58 seconds
3-cone drill: 7.06 seconds
Shuttle: 4.24 seconds
OL Uzo Osuji, 6-6, 301
Vertical leap: 29.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 4 inches
Bench press: 26 reps
40-yard dash: 4.87 seconds
3-cone drill: 7.75 seconds
Shuttle: 4.81 seconds
DB Kekaula Kaniho, 5-10, 186
Vertical leap: 34.5 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 3 inches
40-yard dash: 4.5 seconds
3-cone drill: 6.69 seconds
Shuttle: 4.12 seconds
P Joel Velazquez, 5-11, 223
Took part only in punting drills.
This story was originally published March 30, 2022 at 7:23 PM.
