Jake Bobo needed to make an alteration to his wardrobe within the lead-up to Tremendous Bowl LX.
It was virtually mandated that he achieve this by his Seahawks teammates.
“I’ve been banned from sporting my Sox hat within the constructing this week,” Bobo informed the Herald. “I’ll put on that round at the least a couple of times per week and I obtained some (expletive) for it this week.”
Bobo, a North Andover native who starred at Belmont Hill earlier than taking part in at Duke and UCLA, watched the Patriots rip off three Tremendous Bowl victories in a five-year span within the second half of the franchise’s two-decade-long dynastic run.
The 27-year-old broad receiver, who’s in his third NFL season with the Seahawks, now finds himself in the way in which of the group he rooted for as a child from getting its fingers on the Lombardi Trophy once more.
However these grandiose reminiscences within the minds of Patriots followers don’t come flooding again to Bobo this week. He received’t enable himself to get distracted from the monumental activity at hand, however does acknowledge the distinctiveness of sharing the Tremendous Bowl stage with the Patriots.
“It simply turns into one other ball sport, nevertheless it’s cool,” Bobo stated. “I don’t care who you’re taking part in, to get to this sport – however to have the ability to do it towards the Pats and have a bunch of my household within the stands, that’s actually what you dream about as a child.”
Seventeen members of the Bobo household will make their approach to Santa Clara, Calif., for one among best spectacles in sports activities. Most, if not all, will be certain any Patriots gear they could personal by no means makes it into their suitcases.
Plans for this Tremendous Bowl are a lot completely different than earlier ones for Bobo’s mother, Casey. Normally her greatest concern surrounding the massive sport is what appetizer she’s going to make for a Tremendous Bowl celebration.
Her son taking part in within the Tremendous Bowl – and being part of “the party” as Patriots quarterback Drake Maye stated final week – doesn’t get her nerves flowing into overdrive. She’s simply thrilled to get the prospect to look at her son do what he loves.
“I believed UCLA-USC was the head after which we did the Patriots (towards Seahawks) sport (final season) and now this,” Casey stated. “It retains feeding on itself a little bit bit. He’s an expert soccer participant however he’s nonetheless that 12-year-old child that’s taking part in within the yard.”
Whereas Bobo can have a robust contingent of followers supporting him from inside Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, maybe the person who had essentially the most profound influence on him, and continues to take action, received’t be there.
Bobo’s father, Mike, died almost two years in the past at age 55 after a battle with most cancers. His presence will nonetheless be felt, although, within the discussions the Bobo household has as they prepare for the sport and within the pre-game dialog Bobo has together with his father that has develop into a ritual.
Bobo realized soccer from his father – he performed for the legendary Buddy Teevens at Dartmouth – however, extra importantly, realized life classes which are a guiding power to this present day.
Bobo insists his father wouldn’t care concerning the final result of Tremendous Bowl LX. He put extra significance on how his son carried himself off the sector. A shining instance of that comes from a narrative his mother relayed about Bobo leaving the on-field celebration following the NFC title sport to offer his championship hat to a younger fan within the stands with cerebral palsy.
In that sense, Bobo is already a winner. And every little thing that comes after now follows the phrases Mike informed his son when he first joined the Seahawks, and what has develop into a go-to household phrase.
“It’s kind of the household mantra: ‘It’s gravy,’” Casey stated. “Like, how might it get higher than this? It’s simply gravy no matter occurs now.”
That mantra characterizes Bobo’s soccer journey as he defied the chances to get to the Tremendous Bowl stage. After 4 seasons with Duke and a robust remaining faculty season with UCLA, by which he caught 57 passes for 817 yards and 7 touchdowns, Bobo signed as an undrafted free agent with the Seahawks in 2023.
Regardless of his lack of straight-line velocity – he ran a 4.99 40-yard sprint previous to the NFL draft – Bobo stored making performs in his first coaching camp. He earned a spot on Seattle’s lively roster and suited up in all 17 video games as a rookie, making 19 receptions for 196 yards with two touchdowns whereas additionally taking part in on particular groups.
Bobo obtained regular taking part in time on particular groups final season and contributed offensively right here and there. However this season, Bobo handled a decreased position that had him play solely 19% of Seattle’s offensive snaps within the common season and noticed a discount on particular groups, too. He was a wholesome scratch 5 occasions.
A part of the explanation for not seeing the sector at the least on offense is as a result of expertise within the Seahawks’ broad receiver room. Not many are higher than All-Professional Jaxon Smith-Njigba or have the resume of Tremendous Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp. An in-season commerce for Rashid Shaheed pushed Bobo additional down the depth chart.
“It has been quite a lot of ups and downs to be sincere with you,” Bobo stated. “When you might have the fellows that we have now in our receiver room, with the scheme that we run, if you happen to’re not Jaxon Smith-Njigba and for good cause, you’re not going to have quite a lot of alternatives. That’s simply how it’s. With the way in which we’re taking part in offensively, nor ought to I as a result of we’re clicking proper now and we’ve been clicking again half of this season.
“So for me, it’s actually simply been the place can I contribute and be a contributor to what this group is making an attempt to do. It was fairly apparent early on that this squad was going to be the true deal. So it was both get on the prepare or get off the tracks.”
Bobo completed the common season with simply two catches. He’s already reached that variety of receptions within the postseason, none greater than when shook freed from Rams cornerback Cobie Durant and used his 6-foot-4, 207-pound body to haul in a 17-yard reception in the long run zone early within the third quarter of the NFC Championship Sport.
“You simply need to contribute,” Bobo stated. “I don’t care if you happen to’re Jax otherwise you’re the 53rd man on the roster otherwise you’re the seventieth man on the again finish of the follow squad – and I’ve been in each of these positions – you simply need to contribute as a soccer participant. So for me to have the ability to do this on that stage, I used to be pumped.”
Bobo will likely be on a fair greater stage with an opportunity to contribute come Sunday.
It’s been fairly the journey up to now, one which was robust for him to think about again in his Belmont Hill days. However Bobo will save the reminiscing for a later date and hold his focus, for now, on what lies forward.
“As soon as I take a breath, I’ll begin to look again,” Bobo stated. “However proper now, it’s form of robust to take action.”
