Khalil Shakir Parents: Meet Attiyah and Ramona Shakir, the Military Family Behind the Bills Wide Receiver

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir was born to Attiyah Shakir and Ramona Shakir on February 3, 2000, in Murrieta, California. His father served 24 years in the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a Master Gunnery Sergeant. That military background shaped Shakir’s childhood, his football career, and his approach to the game.

Attiyah Shakir: The Marine Who Coached Him First

Attiyah “Shak” Shakir served 24 years in the Marine Corps, retiring as a Master Gunnery Sergeant. He was Khalil’s first football coach during the roughly six years the family spent stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

Khalil started playing tackle football at age 7 on the Marine base. His father and other Marines who doubled as coaches put the children through Marine-like workouts.

“We got put through Marine-like workouts as 7-year-olds,” Shakir recalled. “If you could picture that, there were a lot of tears, a lot of crying to mom. They didn’t care. It was get on the field and go to work.”

The discipline did not end at practice. After long sessions on base, Khalil and his brothers would pile into their small home and throw on pads again in the backyard, with their father coaching them once more.

“I thank my dad every single day for just teaching me the game and being hard on me at a young age,” Shakir said.

Attiyah also helped establish a youth football league on the Marine base in Okinawa, strengthening the family’s connection to the game and the military community.

Ramona Shakir: The Mother Who Provided Balance

While Attiyah instilled discipline, Ramona Shakir provided holistic guidance and emotional support for the family. She was the person Khalil and his brothers turned to when the intensity of their father’s coaching became overwhelming.

The Shakir household was full of love and football. The three brothers shared a room that turned into a mini locker room, with beds lined up next to each other.

“Me and my brothers wanted to play football all day, every day,” Shakir said.

Growing Up in Military Communities

Shakir moved frequently as a child. The family spent time in Hawaii and Japan before settling in Southern California when he was in sixth grade.

The experience of growing up in military communities across different countries shaped his perspective. It also gave him a deep respect for service members and veterans, which he carries with him today.

An Athletic Family

Khalil is one of four siblings, and athletics runs through the family. His older brother, Attiyyah Jr., ran track at Coker University from 2015 to 2017. His older sister, Rahni, ran track at Livingstone College in 2014. His younger brother, Tyreese, played defensive back at Portland State.

Giving Back Through the Shakir Family Foundation

The values Attiyah instilled in his son are reflected in Khalil’s charitable work. Together with his wife, Sayler, Khalil runs the Shakir Family Foundation, which is dedicated to animal rescue and supporting military veterans.

The foundation’s motto is: “Dedicated to saving four-legged friends and supporting our heroes one paw at a time.”

In 2025, Shakir was named the Buffalo Bills’ nominee for the NFL’s Salute to Service Award. The honor recognized his deep respect for the military, rooted in his father’s 24 years of service and his own upbringing in military communities.