‘This can’t be true.’ Three former Boise State football players score NFL TDs on same day
Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, will go down as a memorable day for two former Boise State standouts.
Buffalo rookie wide receiver Khalil Shakir and Atlanta running back Avery Williams each scored their first NFL touchdowns on a day that saw two other players with Idaho ties find the end zone.
Former defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence cashed in on a scoop and score for the Dallas Cowboys, and Highland High grad Taysom Hill took over in the Saints’ victory against Seattle.
Shakir, who caught 20 TDs throughout his Boise State career, got lost in the moment.
“I didn’t even know what to do. A lot of guys have planned celebrations and things like that,” Shakir said in a postgame press conference. “I always told myself I was gonna keep the first football that I scored ... but for some reason I threw it. Then (quarterback) Josh (Allen) brought it to me and he was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I was like, ‘Oh, my bad, appreciate it.’ But it was a good feeling.”
KHALIL SHAKIR
A week after his first NFL catch, Shakir got his first start in Sunday’s 38-3 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bills were without receivers Jamison Crowder, Jake Kumerow and Isaiah McKenzie, opening the door for Shakir.
“Talk about a guy like Shakir who gets thrown in the starting lineup,” Allen told The Buffalo News. “We’re down two slot guys, and he goes in there and has a great day.”
Shakir’s 24-yard touchdown reception came with 1:02 left in the second quarter and put the Bills up 31-3. He finished with three catches for 75 yards.
“I just had a shoot route across the field,” Shakir said. “They were in man coverage, so I just noticed that and just took off.”
AVERY WILLIAMS
After converting from defensive back to running back in the offseason, Williams had a limited role through the Falcons’ first four games, totaling 51 yards on six carries. But Williams made the most of his first touch Sunday in a 21-15 loss to Tampa Bay.
Williams took a handoff and sprinted around the right end before spinning to his left and into the end zone for an 8-yard score.
He totaled 11 yards on three carries and also caught two passes for 10 yards in the loss. On return duty, he collected 28 yards on one punt return and 69 yards on three kick returns, with a long of 30 yards.
DEMARCUS LAWRENCE
The Cowboys’ defense set the tone early in a 22-10 win over the L.A. Rams.
On third-and-1, Dallas defensive end Dorance Armstrong sacked Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, knocking the ball loose for Lawrence, who scooped up the football and ran 19 yards for the score.
“It was a surreal moment,” Lawrence told DallasCowboys.com. “When the ball came out and hit my feet, I was like, ‘This can’t be true.’”
It was the first defensive touchdown for the Cowboys since Lawrence returned an interception for a TD last season against Washington.
TAYSOM HILL
Years before he would dazzle NFL fans with his versatility, Hill led the Highland High Rams of Pocatello to a state championship in 2008.
On Sunday, the former BYU player did a little bit of everything — as usual. Hill ran for three touchdowns and threw for another to help the Saints topple Seattle 39-32.
His 60-yard TD run with 5:22 remaining in the fourth quarter proved to be the game winner. He also scored on runs of 8 and 9 yards, and completed his only pass of the night — a 22-yarder to tight end Adam Trautman — for a touchdown in the third quarter.
‘’Look, I just work here and do what they ask,” Hill told CBSSports.com. “... My mindset is that, ‘Man, I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity. I felt like I was going to get more opportunities this week and so I did my part to make sure I was prepared.’‘
This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 3:40 PM.
