Joshua Dobbs: Flying High in the SEC and in the Classroom
When Joshua Dobbs took the field against Missouri last November in Columbia, he joined a short list of Tennessee quarterbacks who had started as true freshmen for the Volunteers. A list headlined by none other than Peyton Manning.
Now, after a freshman season that saw five games of mixed results, Dobbs looks poised to usher in a new chapter of Tennessee football history. He closed last season with a dominant performance at Kentucky scoring three touchdowns and amassing over 250 yards, offering a glimpse of how special a player he could one day become.
And while Dobbs was busy preparing for the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Missouri’s defensive powerhouses during the conference schedule, he was also staying focused in the classroom as he furthered his pursuit to become an aeronautical engineer. After all, that specific major was what brought Dobbs to Tennessee in the first place:
“We had full disclosure about academics with coaches early in the recruiting process, Dobbs told CBS Sports. “Every coach with whom I spoke was fully aware of the type of student that I am. My college selection process focused on schools that offered an aerospace engineering undergraduate major.”
Dobbs was selected for the Watkins Award as a senior in high school, an accolade promoting academic excellence among African Americans. The Alpharetta, GA native played both varsity football and baseball in high school to supplement other extracurricular activities such as student government and playing the saxophone in the school band. With a schedule loaded in AP and Honors courses, it’s quite remarkable that Dobbs was able to maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout it all.
Dobbs is not your typical SEC starting quarterback. While an NFL team may one day come calling his name on draft day, Dobbs is already planning for a bright future building and designing airplanes away from the gridiron.
His class schedule last semester at Tennessee consisted of Honors Calculus III; Honors Physics of Engineers II and Honors Cultural Anthropology. Amazingly, he thrived in all of them even after his promotion.
“I have been fascinated with airplanes all of my life,” Dobbs told CBS Sports. “Since my first airplane ride at six months old, my parents often joke that I thought I owned Delta Airlines. I've always enjoyed and done well in math and science classes. So, engineering is a good fit for me.”
Dobbs’ work ethic in high school enabled him to take advanced level courses in his freshman year.
“During high school, I took all honors and Advanced Placement classes,” Dobbs said to CBS Sports. “I was also a dual enrollment student taking college courses my senior year. So, entering college with a little over 30 credits allowed me to exempt many of the introductory classes.”
Dobbs’ gifted brain has assisted teammates on and off the field. He readily helps his peers with homework assignments and uses what his coach calls “a photographic memory” to pick up schemes in the defense and audible his formations accordingly.
“Every time I step on the field I just have to make sure I’m being smart, protecting the football,” Dobbs said. “Coach always says that football holds our dreams, goals and aspirations. So we just have to be smart with the football and just finish drives as a team. Just cut down on the little mistakes and focus in on the details.”
With senior quarterback Justin Worley returning to the Volunteers’ quarterback competition following an injury that sidelined him for most of his junior season, Dobbs is fully aware that the starting job is up for grabs.
He’s worked hard this offseason to improve his arm strength and body. He’s raised his weight from 193 pounds at the start of last season to 216 pounds this summer, appearing more chiseled and defined.
As for his goals for 2014-2015, Dobbs is already thinking big:
“Academically, I want to complete a majority of my 300-level classes to stay on course to complete my undergraduate requirement early … With a new offensive line, and key additions to our receiver and running back corps, it's critical that we hone our timing, blocking schemes, and routes. My goal is to continue to sharpen my QB's mechanics and improve my pre-snap reads.”
~ Joshua Dobbs