University of Tennessee Athletics
Standing Ovation Appropriate For Dobbs
November 04, 2014 | Football
Standing ovation for @joshdobbs in his Circuits class today.
A video posted by Tennessee Athletics (@utsports) on
By Brian Rice KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
UTSports.com
It stemmed from his classmates in his major, aerospace engineering. They intended on giving Dobbs a standing ovation in class on Monday morning, and when he walked into his circuits class, that's exactly what happened.
"I didn't expect it," Dobbs said with a grin. "I just walked into class and was surprised. It was good to see the support from my classmates."
Tennessee fans were giving him an ovation after his five-touchdown performance against South Carolina that saw him account for 467 total yards, the first player in Tennessee history to throw for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards in a single game.
"He has very good instincts when he runs the football," head coach Butch Jones said. "The quarterback draw for a touchdown was equivalent to the run he had in the spring game. He has very good instincts and very good vision running the football. He's a high vision individual and that helps him when he extends plays with his legs.
"The next challenge now is him staying healthy. He's healthy and fresh because he's played two games. He's come a long way and we've really challenged him in the throw game."
Handling the demands of being an SEC quarterback is difficult, but his academic life is no walk in the park. An undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering is typically a five-year program. Dobbs is well ahead of that pace, including his 16-hour class load this semester.
"Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I have thermodynamics, circuits, physics and physics lab," Dobbs said, rattling off his schedule. "On Tuesday and Thursday, I'm in a matrix class and a management class for my business minor and then a computer class."
While either football or the degree might be more than most people could handle, Dobbs seems to have no trouble balancing the two, and excelling in both.
"When you come to the complex, football is your main focus," Dobbs said. When I go to class, I focus on my school work and not football.
"When you take a rigorous major, you know what it takes to study, the time it takes to study and fully understand something. The study habit I use in school I also use in football."
Dobbs got his chance in the lineup with Justin Worley sidelined against Alabama. With word coming Tuesday that Worley will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, it is now Dobbs' team to lead.
He left no doubt on the field with his play against South Carolina, but coaches had confidence that he would be ready, even though the plan had him redshirting this season behind Worley and Nathan Peterman.
"When I thought I was being redshirted, I still prepared as if I was the starter, my preparation was the same," said Dobbs. "I was in the film room a lot studying the opponent, studying our offense and where I needed to get better. It hasn't been tough finding more time to study, I've just kept my preparation the same.
Twitter also filled with another type of praise for the quarterback Saturday night. Dozens of nicknames and Photoshopped pictures mixing his football prowess and his air and space career aspirations made for an entertaining few hours of celebrating the victory. The nicknames run the gamut, from "SpaceDobbs" to "The Passtronaut" and "Rocket Man." But Dobbs has already picked his favorite.
"A lot of the guys on the team call me `Astro,' so that has a nice ring to it," he said. "I like my name as well, obviously."
