The Minnesota Vikings are one of the harder teams to figure out in 2023. Despite releasing their RB1 in the offseason, losing their starting QB Kirk Cousins to injury, and letting WR Adam Thielen walk, they have managed to remain in the playoff picture. At the NFL trade deadline, Minnesota managed to snag QB Josh Dobbs from the Cardinals and haven’t looked back since.
In eight games with Arizona and three with Minnesota, Dobbs has passed for 2,216 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Last week, he and the Vikings suffered a tough loss to the suddenly surging Denver Broncos but managed to put up 20 points regardless.
The journeyman quarterback has been on five different teams since 2022 and seven since his NFL career began in 2017.
What’s crazier? He’s a rocket scientist, too.
Is Josh Dobbs a Rocket Scientist?
Dobbs was born in Alpharetta, Georgia. He developed alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease causing hair loss when he was transitioning from elementary to junior high school.
Following his high school career, he committed to the University of Tennessee, where he played for four seasons from 2013-2016. During his time at Tennessee, he passed for 7,138 yards, 53 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
During his time in college, Dobbs majored in aerospace engineering, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. By 2021, he had interned with NASA twice. Now, while he might not be a licensed rocket scientist, Dobbs can pursue it if he wants.
Congratulations @josh_dobbs1 on yesterday’s big win! Looks like you rock(et) on and off the field. We heard you’ve even got a new nickname, the "Passtronaut." If the suit fits, wear it.🚀 pic.twitter.com/Pah3MuQsWs
— NASA's Glenn Research Center (@NASAglenn) November 6, 2023
It might have been Dobbs’ incredible knowledge that allowed him to memorize enough of the Vikings’ playbook in just 169 hours to lead them to the crucial victory over the Falcons.
MORE: Joshua Dobbs Opens Up on Final Week in Arizona
“We’re not out there doing engineering equations out there on the field, but the study habits for sure, I had to cram for a lot of engineering tests and procrastinated a little bit in college, this is very similar to that,” Dobbs said.
“You’re not just studying it to memorize, though, but to actually go out and execute the plan,” he explained. “There’s two different things: I can tell you something, and you can spit it back to me, or I can tell you, and you have to act on that information.
“Those are two different ways of processing information. Obviously, I’ve got to do the second one. Having to process a lot of information because of my trade in school definitely prepared me for situations like this. I wouldn’t say any quarterback is normally preparing to learn an offense and have to go out and play in a week, but I have been in these situations.”
Dobbs, now in his fourth game with the Vikings, can continue to learn the playbook and gel with his team as they compete for the NFC North title.
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