I recently had the privilege to sit down with Josh Dobbs and interview him about his experience at the University of Tennessee. I left the interview with an entirely new perspective on who he was. I wasn’t talking to the NFL bound quarterback from UT. I was talking to the guy that grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia. I was talking to the kid that loved sports more than doing his homework. I got a glimpse of the person that seeks to glorify God in all that he does, and what I found was that his impressive academic accomplishments, even his record football stats are far from the most important thing Josh Dobbs has to offer the world. For all that follows, I will forever be a Josh Dobbs fan.
Dobbs is hardworking and self-motivated. He told me about his hectic schedule being a UT quarterback as well as an aeronautical engineering major. His motto is “There’s time, if you make time.” This attitude has allowed him to complete the 5-year engineering program in only 4 years. Dobbs’ said “My ultimate goal is to own my own company building and designing airplanes.” With his work ethic and intelligence Dobbs has a bright future ahead of him, even beyond the NFL, and I am excited to watch his career play out from the other side of the TV screen.
Josh Dobbs is a man of integrity. During our interview, he spoke up about his faith telling me about his close relationship with Tim Miller, the UT football Chaplin. He reflected on a meaningful sermon delivered by Miller about the value of a compliment explaining that you never know how far it will go for someone else. With all the negativity he faces in the sports world, that had special significance for him. He also talked about how college tests your faith. He said, “You go off to college and its Sunday, now it’s not your parents knocking on your door telling you ‘Get up. Get ready for church,’ it’s your own choice… That’s when you truly find yourself.”
I am sure Josh Dobbs gets tired of the constant press. The day I interviewed Josh, I missed my turn, got lost and showed up late. The time for media to speak with him had already passed but he took the time to speak with me anyway. I was taken aback by his laid-back nature. He was so personable and friendly. He made me feel like my life was interesting, asking me questions about my experience at Milligan College. He asked me what sport I played and what position. We joked about how tall I am. He was so humble. I could easily see the way he lived out his faith through the manner in which he interacted with others.
Dobbs has a contagious sense of humor and joy about him. He declined to disclose who his favorite college team was, growing up. He laughed and said that he was misguided. He laughed about the reason he was wearing Star Wars socks, explaining that he could only find one of his checkerboard socks that matched his tie. I think about how we picture celebrities as having nothing in common with the rest of us. It is like we think they are immune to average occurrences. I don’t know why we are so surprised to discover that they go through the same mundane experiences we all do. Josh Dobbs not only puts on his pants one leg at a time, but he even loses the matches to his socks.
Dobbs knows he is a role model for others. He makes time to reach out to those that look up to him, as demonstrated by a boy who stood up in the crowd during Q&A time. This young man had messaged him, on Instagram, a question he had while working on a project for his engineering class. To everyone’s surprise, amid the excitement surrounding the Senior Bowl, Dobbs responded with an answer to his engineering question. What a guy, right?
What surprised me most about Dobbs was his response to my question about Black History Month. I asked him about what it meant to him to be speaking at a Black History Month event. He could have talked about inequality. He could’ve blamed racism, policemen, our president, any number of things. He could’ve said something divisive. However, this was his response, “Anytime you’re able to have a platform the goal is to use that positively in affecting the community and the people around you…I will be excited to see the turn out today, and I’ll be excited to get up there and talk to various students of all ages and I’m just thankful to be a part of this event.”
He didn't emphasize racial tension. He didn’t dwell on the issues. He focused on the students he would connect with and the influence he had to inspire them. During his on-stage appearance following our talk, he again chose to focus not on the hardship or the inequality, but on the triumph. He talked about those who have overcome the adversity of segregation to do great things such as his great grandmother.
According to Dobbs, she was a high school math teacher in 1908 who walked miles to school for a monthly salary of $25, just because she loved teaching kids. He praised Condredge Holloway, the first African American quarterback in the SEC, for paving the way for guys like himself. He mentioned the movie “Hidden Figures”; he commended the Tuskegee Airmen for their service through trials. He focused on the success stories. I think this attitude says a lot about who he is and how he has been so successful. He doesn’t buy into all the negativity. He focuses on the good. He concentrates on his own life and the influence he has on others. I think, sometimes, we could all learn something from taking that approach. They say “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Josh Dobbs is the change I want to see in the world. He truly is a class act.
