Josh Dobbs: aerospace engineer, career backup and ice-cold winner

You’d need to be a genius to learn a new NFL offense and its dozens of plays in five days. Luckily, Joshua Dobbs is. The quarterback’s academic exploits are the stuff of legend and internet memedom. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a perfect grade-point average and a degree in aerospace engineering, and instead of going on to a career in rocket science – which he’d have been plenty qualified for – he settled into a different life: that of the journeyman backup. Dobbs has been around the league since 2017, when the Pittsburgh Steelers made him a fourth-round pick. But the last few weeks have turned out to be his big breakthrough.

Dobbs started the year with his seventh franchise in seven seasons of pro ball: the Arizona Cardinals, who are playing for little more than an early draft pick next spring. So when the Minnesota Vikings lost starter Kirk Cousins for the year with a torn achilles last week, they chatted with Arizona and swung a deal for Dobbs. That was Tuesday. On Sunday, Dobbs wasn’t expecting to play but he was summoned from the bench when Jaren Hall was injured in the first quarter. He duly delivered a masterclass in being a quick study: Dobbs completed 20 of 30 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns, and despite coughing up a few fumbles to the Atlanta Falcons, he brought the Vikings back from the abyss.

He conducted a dramatic 11-play, 75-yard drive in the final two minutes to flip the result in the home team’s favor. The key plays were a 22-yard Dobbs scramble on fourth down-and-seven and a six-yard touchdown strike to Brandon Powell on third down with 27 seconds to go as they trailed by four.

Final score: Vikings 31-28 Falcons. Minnesota have a 5-4 record that has them still playing meaningful football after an 0-3 start to September and Cousins’ injury in October. Dobbs hadn’t taken a single throw in practice with his receivers before Sunday’s game and admitted he didn’t even know most of their names. This in a league where hours and hours of practice with your teammates is crucial for your chances of success. “What he was able to do in really five days’ time was as impressive as I’ve seen a quarterback be able to do,” said Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings’ head coach.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/nov/06/joshua-dobbs-minnesota-vikings-quarterback-atlanta-falcons-nfl

That's my boy! I've loved him ever since he was at Tennessee. Big brain, big heart.