Seattle Seahawks undrafted rookie Jake Bobo has been swimming against the tide since Day 1 of OTAs. With so many teams passing on him, the former UCLA product entered his first NFL preseason with a big point to prove.
Making a name for yourself when you are drafted is tough enough, but not being selected gives some extra motivation to prove coaches wrong.
After a stellar preseason that likely will end with him earning a spot on Seattle's 53-man roster, Bobo detailed his mindset heading into camp.
“Just make plays,” Bobo said. “All us undrafted guys have a chip on our shoulder for sure. So just coming in here and proving myself was my mentality, and then once you get into the thick of it, it's day by day, that’s been my mentality throughout this whole thing. Just being better than yesterday and keep stacking days.”
In the space of three preseason games, Bobo has staked his claim for a roster spot, and such has been his performances. He has developed a nice following on social media and from Seahawks fans.
With "Bobo-mania" now gripping the NFC West franchise after his exploits on the field, Bobo is rather humbled at the new-found fame he has recently garnered.
“Been really cool,” Bobo said. “Cool for me, my family, and friends to just see some of that, so I’m very grateful, I’m honored to have some of the 12’s jump on the Bobo bandwagon a little bit. That’s been really cool to see, and I’m honored that folks think I’m worthy of their praise.”
Bobo's stat line from his three outings makes for good reading, as he has caught seven passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
But the job is far from over.
With the looming roster cuts, many think Bobo is safe and will be a member of Shane Waldron's offense this season.
If he does manage to escape the call on Tuesday, Bobo has a simple mindset when asked what he has to do in order to keep his level of performance throughout the year.
“Keep making plays,” he said.
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