Joshua Dobbs facts for kids
Dobbs with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018
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| No. 5 – San Francisco 49ers | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born: | January 26, 1995 Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Alpharetta | ||||||||||||||||
| College: | Tennessee (2013–2016) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2017 / Round: 4 / Pick: 135 | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||||
Joshua Dobbs (born January 26, 1995) is an American professional football player. He plays as a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Dobbs was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2017 NFL Draft. He has played for many NFL teams, including starting roles for the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, and Minnesota Vikings.
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Early Life and High School Football
Joshua Dobbs was born and grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia. His parents, Stephanie and Robert Dobbs, both had successful careers. His mother worked in human resources for UPS, and his father was a senior vice president for Wells Fargo.
Dobbs has a condition called alopecia areata. This is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. It started when he was moving from elementary to junior high school.
He began playing football at age five. He went to Wesleyan School and then Alpharetta High School. In his senior year, he threw for 3,625 yards and 29 touchdowns for the Alpharetta Raiders. He was a highly rated recruit and chose to play college football at the University of Tennessee.
College Football Career
Playing for the Tennessee Volunteers
Dobbs joined the University of Tennessee in 2013. As a freshman, he played in five games, starting four. He stepped in after the main quarterback was injured. He showed his skills, especially in a win against the Kentucky Wildcats. In that game, he threw his first two touchdown passes and ran for another.
Sophomore Season Highlights (2014)
In 2014, Dobbs became the starting quarterback in November. He had a fantastic game against South Carolina. He passed for over 300 yards and ran for over 160 yards, scoring five touchdowns in total. This helped Tennessee reach their first bowl game since 2010. Dobbs was named MVP of the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl, where Tennessee won against Iowa.
Junior Year Success (2015)
Dobbs was the main quarterback for the 2015 season. He played in all 12 regular season games and the bowl game. He had a memorable play against Florida. He caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from a teammate, which was the first time a Tennessee quarterback had a reception since Peyton Manning in 1997.
He also led Tennessee to a big win over the #19 Georgia Bulldogs. He threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 118 yards and two more scores. Tennessee finished the season with nine wins, their most since 2007. They won the 2016 Outback Bowl against the #12 Northwestern Wildcats.
Senior Season and Academic Achievements (2016)
In his final college season in 2016, Dobbs continued to shine. He led Tennessee to a comeback victory over the #19 Florida Gators. He threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns, and ran for another score. He also made a famous "Hail Mary" throw to win against #25 Georgia as time ran out. This play is known as the "Dobbs-Nail Boot."
Dobbs finished his college career by leading Tennessee to another bowl win. He was named MVP of the 2016 Music City Bowl against the #24 Nebraska Cornhuskers. Tennessee had 18 wins with Dobbs as quarterback over two years, which was a great achievement for the school.
Beyond football, Dobbs studied aerospace engineering at the University of Tennessee. He earned the 2017 Torchbearer Award, the highest honor for an undergraduate student. This award recognizes achievements in the community and academics. Dobbs had a perfect 4.0 grade point average and was on the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Professional Football Career
Starting with the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Dobbs in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. He signed a four-year contract with them. He spent his rookie season learning behind the main quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger.
Dobbs played in his first NFL regular season game in October 2018. He completed a 22-yard pass in a game against the Baltimore Ravens. He also stepped in for an injured Roethlisberger in a game against the Oakland Raiders. In 2018, he played in five games.
Moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars
In September 2019, Dobbs was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. This happened after their starting quarterback, Nick Foles, got injured. While with the Jaguars, Dobbs also had an internship at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, showing his interest in space. He was later waived by the Jaguars in 2020.
Back with the Steelers and Other Teams
Dobbs returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers in September 2020. He signed another one-year contract with them in 2021. However, he was placed on injured reserve later that year.
In 2022, Dobbs signed with the Cleveland Browns. He was later waived and then signed to the practice squad of the Detroit Lions.
Tennessee Titans and First NFL Start
In December 2022, Dobbs was signed by the Tennessee Titans. He was named the starting quarterback for the Titans' Week 17 game. This was his first NFL start! He threw his first career touchdown pass in that game.
He started again in Week 18, needing a win to help the Titans make the playoffs. Despite leading for most of the game, the Titans lost.
Arizona Cardinals and "The Passtronaut"
Dobbs signed with the Cleveland Browns again in March 2023. Then, in August 2023, he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals. He became the starting quarterback for the Cardinals while their main quarterback, Kyler Murray, was injured.
On September 24, Dobbs led the Cardinals to a surprise win over the undefeated Dallas Cowboys. This was the Cardinals' only win with Dobbs as their starter. He played eight games for them before being traded.
Minnesota Vikings and Sudden Success
In October 2023, Dobbs was traded to the Minnesota Vikings after their starting quarterback was injured. He entered a game against the Atlanta Falcons without any practice with his new team. He even had to practice his calls with his teammates during the game!
Dobbs threw for 158 yards and scored three touchdowns, leading the Vikings to a comeback win. He became the first NFL quarterback to score three touchdowns in back-to-back games for different teams. His amazing performance gained him a lot of media attention. His nickname, "The Passtronaut," became popular during this time. This nickname refers to his background in aerospace engineering.
After a few more games, Dobbs was benched during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He later became the third-string quarterback for the Vikings.
San Francisco 49ers
On March 19, 2024, Dobbs signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. He spent most of the season as the third-string quarterback. He played in Week 17 after the starting quarterback was injured. Dobbs threw for 35 yards and ran for a touchdown in that game. He was then named the starter for the 49ers' final game of the season.
Personal Life
Joshua Dobbs is a Christian. He has spoken about his faith, saying that deciding to follow Jesus was the most important day of his life.
He is also the founder of the ASTROrdinary Dobbs Foundation. Dobbs is a strong supporter of raising awareness about alopecia, the hair loss condition he has. His cousin, Parker Washington, also plays in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Jaguars.
