In the last five years, three members of the Shabazz family have graduated from NMSU. During that time and since, they have proven themselves as world-class athletes as well as proud members of the NMSU family.

Coming from the tiny desert town of Chaparral, N.M., the brothers advocate a message of determination and hard work.

Siddeeq, 27, conducted his undergraduate study at NMSU from 1998 to 2003, playing strong safety and special teams on the Aggie football team and graduating with a degree in business management and a minor in marketing.

After graduating, Siddeeq was drafted into the National Football League by the Oakland Raiders. He moved around the NFL a bit, with stints in Atlanta, New Orleans, Cincinnati and Miami, then with the National Football League Europa’s Rhein Fire in Germany. Since 2007 he has been a member of the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos.

He also is studying for a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) at NMSU.

A proud father of three, Siddeeq lives in Atlanta where he serves as vice president and lifestyle coach at the YourDay Extraordinary Training Center with his older brother, Day, who also attended NMSU.

Siddeeq feels his choice to attend NMSU allowed for a greater level of personal attention.

“I feel like at a larger institution, I could have gotten lost in the system,” Siddeeq says, “but here I always felt I had someone who cared and was willing to support me.”

Shukree, 25, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in management in May 2005. He immediately began his graduate studies, also pursuing an MBA.

“I’m proud to be an NMSU graduate and hopefully the greatest benefit I will get from the university is yet to come in the form of a career,” Shukree says.

Shukree played cornerback for the Aggie football team from 2001 to 2005 and took a brief hiatus from his graduate study to play for the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2006.

He currently plays for the American Indoor Football Association’s New Mexico Wildcats in Albuquerque and hopes his time there will propel him to a higher league, such as the NFL or CFL.

Shukree is grateful for the chance NMSU provided to play alongside his brother and against some of the biggest names in football.

“I had the chance to play football against some of the NFL’s current best like Vince Young, Roy Williams, Steven Jackson and Demarcus Ware,” Shukree says.

The Shabazz brothers have established the Team Shabazz Foundation in Las Cruces, holding their first free Life Skills and Football camp last year. This year they plan to continue, and say they hope to expand and make an even bigger impact.

Siju, 23, the most recent graduate, received his bachelor’s degree with a double major in small business entrepreneurship and operations management and minors in finance and insurance in December 2007.

After beginning his boxing career just five years ago, Siju quickly rose through the ranks and by 2007 had become the National Golden Gloves Champion. Now an Olympic alternate in the USA Boxing Team’s 178-pound division, he has spent time in the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and in April fought against the Puerto Rican Olympic contender.

“I’m just traveling around the world and helping the Olympians get ready to win gold,” Siju said.

Siju admits that he attended NMSU because of scholarships, grants, its proximity to his family, and because his brothers attended, and is now very pleased with his decision.

“It’s a nice place. The majority of teachers are cool and really want the best for their students,” Siju said. “I got a good education and learned the basics for starting and maintaining a good business.”

The three most recent graduates join other members of their family who have attended NMSU. Their mother, Q. Shabazz, received a bachelor’s degree in family consumer science in 2005 and brothers Shaheed, Day and Femi and sisters Mimi and Keke have all spent time as Aggies.