Band of brothers: Family reminds Boise State’s next go-to receiver ‘to keep going’
Boise State wide receiver Stefan Cobbs Jr. has so many tattoos that he’s lost count, but he’ll always remember the first one.
The names of his parents, Jennifer and Stefan Sr., are written in cursive script on his right shoulder. Rays of sun, emanating from their names, shine down on clouds that cover Cobbs’ upper arm, almost to the elbow, and the names of Cobbs’ four younger brothers: Daniel, Christian, Gabriel and Elijah.
Cobbs is motivated by a lot of things — including a possible career in the NFL — but he said nothing pushes him more than knowing that his brothers are looking to him to set an example.
“When I see them, it reminds me to keep going,” Cobbs said. “Having four little brothers, especially the ones I have, I want to continue to be a role model for them.”
It’s common for the eldest child in a large family to be tasked with helping to raise siblings. Cobbs’ willingness to accept that role and the fact that he never played favorites aren’t as common, his father said.
“He set a high bar for his brothers,” Stefan Sr. said. “He’s always been a mentor for them, and the craziest part of their relationship is he’s as close to the youngest one as he is to the second oldest.”
Cobbs is four years older than Daniel, 17, who will graduate from high school this spring. Christian is 14, Gabriel is 13 and Elijah is 7.
All five boys play football. Daniel was an all-district wide receiver and played cornerback at Fossil Ridge High in Texas last fall. Gabriel also plays cornerback. Christian is trying his hand at running back and Elijah is still trying to figure it all out, Stefan Sr. said.
Raising five rambunctious, active boys was hectic at best and often chaotic, Cobbs’ parents said. Date nights for them were usually spent in football stadiums, and ferrying their children to various commitments meant plenty of long drives and late nights.
But they said they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I love having all boys,” Jennifer Cobbs said. “I’m definitely a football mom, and I get to be queen.”
It’s in the genes for Boise State receiver
Cobbs and his brothers get their athletic genes honestly.
Growing up in Texas, Stefan Sr. was a star quarterback, an all-district center fielder in baseball and one of the top sprinters on his high school track team. His career was derailed by a broken leg, which his surgeon — who was also the team doctor for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks — described as one of the worst breaks he had ever seen, Stefan Cobb Sr. said.
He still stays in shape, though. And he keeps his boys in shape with sprints up a hill near their home in Fort Worth, Texas, whenever he can get the whole gang together.
To honor their dad, Cobbs and his brothers all wear jersey No. 5 — the number Stefan Sr. wore as a high school quarterback. Cobbs switched to the number last spring at Boise State after wearing No. 82 during his first two years.
Cobbs was about as good a son as parents could ask for, Stefan Sr. said. He was on the honor roll, rarely got in trouble and excelled just about every time he stepped on the football field. But Stefan Sr. said he’s never been more overwhelmed by a proud-dad moment than the first time he watched his oldest son trot on the field at Albertsons Stadium wearing his old number.
“He was meant to be the oldest child because he sets an example for his brothers in everything he does, and they follow in his footsteps,” Stefan Sr. said.
‘It’s natural to him’
Cobbs didn’t just take an active role in his brothers’ lives at home. A couple of them were usually attached to his hip in the hallways at school, around town and at football practice, former Fossil Ridge football coach Tony Baccarini said.
“He baby-sat a lot, and he would pick his brothers up and bring them to practice,” said Baccarini, who also coached Daniel before retiring in 2020. “You could just tell how much they looked up to him, and it wasn’t just his brothers. He’s one of those lead-by-example guys.”
Coaches began to take notice of Cobbs’ athletic ability long before he got to high school, Stefan Sr. said. He rose to No. 1 wide receiver on the depth chart pretty quickly at the varsity level, and he’s used to attracting the attention of every defensive back on the field.
That’s why Stefan Sr. said replacing former Boise State wide receiver Khalil Shakir as the Broncos’ top pass catcher should not be a big deal his son.
“It’s natural to him,” Stefan Sr. said. “Coaches have always looked to him to bare the responsibility of that position.”
Count Baccarini among them. Cobbs joined the varsity team at Fossil Ridge as a sophomore, and he lined up all over the field, returned punts and kicks, and usually found the ball coming his way when the team needed someone to make a key play.
As a senior, he was named the Texas 3-6A District’s most valuable player after racking up 67 receptions for 1,332 yards and 24 touchdowns.
“He played outside and inside receiver, got the ball on jet sweeps and caught a lot of short stuff that he turned into a 60- or 70-yard run,” Baccarini said. “I coached 18 NFL guys in 17 years at Fossil Ridge, and Stef is as good as any of them.”
‘Lightning in a bottle’
Cobbs is coming off a career year at Boise State. He played in nine games last season — missing three because of a nagging ankle injury — and posted career highs in receptions (34), receiving yards (421) and receiving touchdowns (5).
The 6-foot, 187-pound redshirt senior also emerged as a threat to score on big plays. He had an 80-yard punt return and a 61-yard catch for TDs in the Broncos’ home opener against UTEP. He caught two touchdown passes a couple of weeks later against Nevada, one of which covered 25 yards.
Cobbs is a deep threat, but he’s no one-trick pony, Boise State wide receivers coach Matt Miller said.
“Stef can stretch the field, but the thing with him is he’s lightning in a bottle, too,” Miller said. “He’s got the explosive factor, where he can run a hitch route and take it for a 60-yard touchdown or he can just run by a guy.”
With Shakir preparing for a career in the NFL, Cobbs knows he has big shoes to fill. Shakir led the Broncos last season with 77 catches for 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns, and he ranks in the top 10 at Boise State in career receptions (208), receiving yards (2,878) and touchdown receptions (20).
Cobbs said he isn’t going to shy away from the spotlight, but he also isn’t going to put too much pressure on himself.
“I’m just trying to play the best ball I can and get better every day,” he said. “I just want to be able to say I did everything I could and left it all on the line.”
Shakir said he isn’t surprised Cobbs is next in line to lead Boise State’s wide receivers. They both joined the Broncos as part of the 2018 recruiting class. The freshmen practiced separately from the older players for the first few weeks back then, and Shakir said Cobbs was the first member of the class called up to join the veterans.
“He completely Mossed one of the older guys, and I remember all the vets talking about it,” Shakir said, referring to the popular “You Got Mossed” feature on ESPN hosted by Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss. “His mental game has gotten a lot stronger, and I think you’re going to hear his name a lot this year.”
Boise State spring game
When: 3:30 p.m., April 9
Where: Albertsons Stadium
Admission: Free
