Former Cowboy Jacob Hollister Will Be In Today’s Super Bowl

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Laramie, WY -  A year ago at this time, former Wyoming tight end Jacob Hollister was training in Fayetteville, Arkansas with his twin brother, Cody, preparing for his NFL Pro Timing Day in Laramie in March. In that time leading up to the 2017 NFL Draft, he was hoping for an opportunity to live his dream of playing in the NFL. Now a year later, Hollister is living the ultimate football dream as he prepares with his New England Patriot teammates to play in Super Bowl LII.

Wyoming Trucks Dea;ls
“It is crazy. It’s all a dream. It’s been a dream year,” said Hollister on the phone earlier this week from Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Last year at this time, I was getting ready to go hang out at a friend’s house to watch the Super Bowl and now I’m a part of it. It’s been amazing. It’s such a blessing.”

His dream-like season has also included him being reunited with twin brother Cody, who also signed as a free agent with New England after playing wide receiver at the University of Arkansas for three seasons. Cody was on the Patriots’ practice squad this year, and the brothers were roommates.

Prior to accepting scholarship offers to Wyoming and Arkansas the twin brothers won a state title together at Mountain View High School in Bend, Ore., started their college careers as freshmen at the University of Nevada and played one season together at Arizona Western Community College.

Hollister signed as a free agent with the Patriots on May 5, 2017. In his rookie season, he appeared in 15 of 16 regular-season games and in the Patriots’ playoff games that led to the AFC Championship. He enters the Super Bowl with four receptions for 42 yards this season. He has also contributed on special teams, making four tackles and recovering a fumble.

Hollister made his first career start in his first NFL regular-season game in Week 2 at New Orleans. He also caught his first career pass for five yards in that 36-20 win over the Saints. His longest reception of the season came on a 19-yard catch in the third quarter of a week three win over Houston.

The 2016 Wyoming team captain and First Team All-Mountain West tight end was fortunate enough to land with the defending Super Bowl Champions as a rookie, and he has had the opportunity to play with and learn from some of the best players in the NFL.

“There are so many amazing guys on this team and so many guys who you can look up to and admire,” said Hollister. “The leadership is unbelievable, and that is a big part of why we’ve been successful this year.”
And leading the way among those veterans is of course quarterback Tom Brady, one of the greatest if not the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

What is it like to be in the huddle with Brady? “You have a man who is such an incredible leader. A guy who everyone is so confident in, in the huddle,” said Hollister. “He’s always going to make the right moves and put us in the right place to be successful.”

He gave a shout-out on social media to Wyoming fans this past week. Asked what Wyoming fans have meant to him these past several years, Hollister said, “In the time I was at Wyoming and then coming here with the Patriots, I’ve had so many Wyoming fans reach out to me and support me through the years. I can’t tell them enough how much I appreciate it. “The support that I feel from back there it really is ‘One Wyoming’. We all support each other, and I just really appreciate them.”