In the middle of an NFL season, a player doesn’t have much time to sit back and admire his work.
Jake Bobo wastes no time doing that, but still, he admits, the last few months have been quite a ride.
“It’s been wild,” said Bobo, a rookie wide receiver on the Seattle Seahawks who spent part of his youth in Concord. “Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like it’s really happened. Still, I’m just playing ball, just what I’ve done since I was 6 or 7 playing Pop Warner.”
Bobo attended Sanborn Middle School in Concord before playing for Belmont Hill School. He played at Duke University and finished his college career at UCLA.
In the spring, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Seahawks. After the preseason, he made the Seahawks’ 53-man roster.
Now, six games into the season, Bobo has caught eight passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. On October 22, he made four catches on five targets with a touchdown in the Seahawks’ 20-10 win against the Arizona Cardinals.
His first NFL touchdown was on a 5-yard reception against the Carolina Panthers on September 24.
“I thought I had a shot to make the team,” Bobo said. “Being an undrafted free agent definitely puts a chip on your shoulder. I just had to do 100 percent every day, at every practice and every game.”
One of the most meaningful things to Bobo is the respect he has received from the Seahawks’ veterans.
“He plays like a veteran,” said Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith on “Inside the NFL.”
“He prepares like a veteran. He’s one of those guys who, we have to find him and get him the ball because he’s doing such special things out there on the field.”
Said Bobo, “It means a lot. You always want to get the respect of your teammates. That’s true whether you’re in the NFL or playing Pop Warner.”
Bobo has also enjoyed the experience of playing for Seahawks’ Head Coach Pete Carroll.
“He’s been awesome,” Bobo said. “He wants us to have fun, but when it’s time to take it seriously, it’s all business.”
Bobo’s early NFL experience has been similar to what most rookies experience, getting used to playing with the best players in the world week in and week out.
“Obviously, the speed of the game is much faster,” Bobo said. “The mental side is very different. Still, it’s just playing ball.”
His experience at Duke and UCLA made the adjustment to the pro game more manageable.
“Playing at both Duke and UCLA really helped with my football IQ,” he said. “Especially playing for [UCLA coach] Chip Kelly, the receivers are very involved, even in the running game and it’s kind of like with the Seahawks.
“Both Duke and UCLA have a culture that’s very blue collar and that’s helped a lot,” he said.
Before moving to Concord, Bobo and his family lived in North Andover. He played for Lawrence Pop Warner and his father, Mike, a former quarterback at Dartmouth University, was his coach.
One of the things about playing for the Seahawks that has taken a little getting used to for Bobo is playing at Lumen Field. The Seahawks’ home stadium is one of the louder venues in the league.
“The fans are unbelievable,” he said. “Coming off the field, your head is just banging, but they help us win.”
Continuing with the rest of the season and the rest of his NFL career, Bobo thinks the approach that got him into the league will be the best way to be successful.
“Long term, I want to stay in the league as long as I can,” Bobo said. “I can’t take anything for granted. This season, I want to help the Seahawks accomplish our goal, which is to win the Super Bowl.”
