Jacob Hollister had played quarterback his entire football life.

So in 2013 the Bend native was somewhat taken aback when his coach at Arizona Western College, a community college in Yuma, told the young quarterback he was moving to tight end because that would give him a better opportunity to advance his career.

“That was one of those doors where it was super uncomfortable to step into, but you just say, I’ve got to do this and just go all out and go for it,” Hollister said last week. “That’s kind of been the attitude me and (twin brother) Cody’s whole life. Just don’t quit and just keep going.”

Hollister, now 26, kept going all right, and this past fall he enjoyed a breakout season in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, playing in 11 games with 41 receptions for 349 yards and three touchdowns. He became a key weapon for quarterback Russell Wilson, as the Seahawks made a postseason run before falling to the Green Bay Packers 28-23 in a divisional playoff on Jan. 12.

Back when he was a quarterback at Bend’s Mountain View High School, leading the Cougars to the 2011 Class 5A state title, Hollister never dreamed he would make the NFL as a tight end — but somehow he and Cody knew they would reach the NFL in some fashion. (Cody is a wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans.)

“I don’t think Cody and I ever thought that we wouldn’t be there,” said Jacob, now back home in Bend for most of the offseason. “We just knew that we’d be putting in the work no matter what and the cards would play however they were. I just feel like God’s been really obvious with opening doors throughout our life.”

After he was moved to tight end in 2013, Jacob called his father, Evan Hollister, who encouraged him to go for it.

“I made the switch and my brother helped me to start running routes and work on the receiving side of things,” Jacob recalled. “And then the blocking side was a whole other story. I had to put on about 25 pounds and just go from there.”

From there would include three seasons at the University of Wyoming, then going undrafted in the 2017 NFL draft. But he signed with the Patriots, playing sparingly during his two seasons in New England. He was on injured reserve when the Patriots won the Super Bowl after the 2018 season.

Hollister was traded to the Seahawks during that offseason, and he was promoted from the practice squad on Oct. 12 last year after Seattle’s other tight ends were sidelined by injuries.

On Nov. 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he caught his first career touchdown, and then later scored on a 10-yard touchdown reception to win the game in overtime.

“Oh man, that was wild,” Hollister reflected. “I didn’t really realize what was going on until after the game. During the game you’re just in the zone. And then I caught that last pass and scored. I knew the situation, but it didn’t really hit me that that was the game winner until one of my teammates, David Moore, jumped on my back and tackled me. That was a really cool moment.”

There were tougher moments as well.

On Dec. 29 against the 49ers, Hollister was stopped just inches from the goal line on the final play of a 26-21 loss. A win would have given the Seahawks home field in the first round of the playoffs.

“There couldn’t be a more perfect display of football than in that play,” Hollister said. “Football just comes down to inches all the time. It sucked and I wish we would have won, but really, right away, I was able to just move on to the next game.”

In Seattle’s two playoff games, a 17-9 win at Philadelphia and the loss at Green Bay, Hollister had seven catches for 63 yards.

“There’s a lot of guys who go their whole careers and don’t get a chance to play in a playoff game,” Hollister said. “So the opportunity to play in two playoff games, in really the first year I was playing a lot, was really cool. Just to be out there and get some experience in the playoffs.”

Hollister also noted that he has been fortunate to have played with two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Tom Brady and Wilson.

“I’m having these (future) Hall of Fame guys to play with every year,” Hollister said. “It was amazing playing with Russ. We had a really good connection, and we started building some chemistry throughout the year. I just love the way he plays football and leads.”

Hollister is a restricted free agent, meaning the Seahawks will have the right to match any contract offered to him during the free-agency period next month.

At 6 feet 4 and 245 pounds, Hollister is somewhat small for a tight end. Muddying the waters of his future is that Seattle just this week signed 6-5, 255-pound tight end Greg Olsen, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, to a one-year contract.

Also, tight end Will Dissly (6-4, 265), a talented third-year player, is expected to return from injury in time for the start of next season.

Jacob Hollister said he hopes to be back in Seattle for the 2020 season, while brother Cody remains under contract with the Titans.

“There’s just a lot of different things that could happen with my contract, but I really like it there,” Hollister said of Seattle. “I love playing for those guys. I love playing with Russ and all my other teammates over there. So I really hope to be back.”

No matter where he ends up this year, Jacob Hollister can reflect back on the 2019 season as a dream come true.

“I wasn’t able to really put things in perspective until after the season,” he said. “Once the season was over, taking a step back and taking a breath, talking to family and friends, I realized how fortunate I am to be playing this game for a living. Not only that, but playing for really my home team growing up … I have a lot of support from back home and this was the first year that I got to have a lot of friends and family come out and go to games. It was just a huge blessing of a year.”