Hollister pledges to keep working
FOXBORO — Jacob Hollister answered questions by the back of the locker room at Gillette Stadium yesterday with a smile on his face, and for good reason.
The undrafted rookie free agent made the Patriots’ 53-man roster, beating out James O’Shaughnessy in a close race for the third tight end spot.
However, Hollister knows his work has just begun.
“It’s just working every day,” he said, “just kind of keeping the same mindset and just grinding it out with my teammates.”
That attitude has served him well so far, but it’s not just been his approach that earned him the spot. From a performance perspective, Hollister has gotten it done, as well.
From the beginning of the preseason, Hollister flashed good hands and an ability to outfight defensive backs for contested balls. He caught seven passes for 116 yards in the first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He had relatively limited chances in the next two games, but made the most of them. On Thursday night against the New York Giants, he made four receptions for 26 yards and a 4-yard touchdown from Jacoby Brissett in the fourth quarter of the 4038 loss.
At 6-foot-4, 239 pounds, Hollister is on the small side for a tight end. The 6-4, 245-pound O’Shaughnessy may be slightly bigger, but entering his third year in the league he can be considered a more advanced blocker. O’Shaughnessy also had the advantage when it came to special teams experience, with which Hollister only had a limited role at the University of Wyoming.
But with Rob Gronkowski and Dwayne Allen locked in to make the team, the Pats already have two strong blockers at the position. Hollister’s role could be different. He can make an impact up as a “move” tight end, where he isn’t limited to a more traditional in-line role. At Wyoming, he even lined up in the backfield as an H-back, another facet where the Pats could get him involved.
As for Saturday’s cutdown day, Hollister said it was a little surreal. That’s not surprising for a rookie, but he appears to be handling the stress of the job well so far.
“It was just craziness,” Hollister said. “Really excited, worked my butt off with my teammates. Such a blessing to be a part of this organization.”
Hollister knows he needs to keep working to make sure that blessing continues.
“I feel like it’s the same mindset every day you come in,” he said. “It’s a business where you be gone one day and you could be here another day. It’s really just working every day and trying to put your best foot forward and going from there.”