Having that foundation has made Shakir the athlete, teammate, and person that he is today. Just like his father taught him many lessons about leadership, his college coach continued to build off that foundation at Boise State.
“He (Avalos) was somebody who was on me heavy about my leadership, the way I work, and the way I make sure I lead by example,” Shakir shared. “So, every single day I heard from him about how to handle myself. Once I start handling myself the right way, then I can start to bring guys along with me and show them how to do things.
“That all comes from him. Just from the moment he got there, making sure that I was on it. If I slacked off the tiniest bit, no matter what, he was on me. He was on me every single day making sure that I was just doing the right thing and leading guys.”
The Bills’ front office was so blown away by what Shakir brought to the table that they would’ve taken him in the fourth round – if they had a pick. They were elated that he made it to the…