BUFFALO, N.Y. — When the Bills beat Seattle in Week 9, then-Seahawks tight end Jacob Hollister witnessed the way his former college quarterback Josh Allen celebrated with his team and could feel the camaraderie. Just over four months later, Hollister arrived in Buffalo, signing a one-year deal with the Bills.
"Talking to my agent, it seemed like the best situation when it came to the culture and really just the type of building that you want to be in," Hollister said in his introductory media call on Monday.
"I kind of experienced that, honestly, when I was here playing this year with Seattle. You kind of realized that playing throughout the game just that the players were really close, the coaches were really close with the players... just seemed like a great place to be."
Hollister said he talked to Allen ahead of signing in Buffalo, and he knew he wanted to play with his college quarterback again.
"Josh is just a baller, so I love playing with him, and honestly, that was a huge deciding factor for me coming here was getting to play with him again. He's that type of guy that you feel confident with. He's hilarious, and I'm excited to play with him. It will be a great time," Hollister said.
The now 27-year-old got to Wyoming three seasons before Allen transferred from Reedley College. The tight end hosted the quarterback during his visit to the university.
"You can tell that the confidence was there right away, and I think that, especially as a quarterback, you have to have all the confidence in the world and yourself and your ability," Hollister said.
Hollister mentioned times people have doubted Allen and his ability, and said "he's just kept rocking, and he's done an incredible job."
"He's just that guy you want to be in the huddle with. He has a ton of confidence in his teammates, his coaches and everybody, so I think that's the first thing I realized with Josh is 'this is a really confident dude,' and that gives the rest of the team confidence."
