Dobbs ready to prove himself at Senior Bowl

Reese's Senior Bowl: Josh, we met with you over the summer, Phil Savage and myself at the Manning Passing Academy, and then we saw you again at SEC Media Days. Now we get to see you again here in Mobile in January. Do you really want to see us a third time?
Josh Dobbs: I'm excited about the opportunity. They always say the third time's the charm so should be some good luck next week. 

RSB: When you finally received the Reese's Senior Bowl invitation, what was that moment like for you?
Dobbs: It was very surreal. The Senior Bowl's a game that you grow up hearing about, dreaming about playing in as a senior and praying and hoping that you'll have the honor of receiving an invite. So when Coach Jones called me and told me I’d received the invite, him and Bob Welton, I was definitely excited and definitely eager for this opportunity. I’m definitely eager to take the field next week. 

RSB: Coach Jones called you and told you over the phone? Did he tell you or ask you to come by the office because he had something for you, how did that go down?
Dobbs: Well hew as out on the road recruiting when the official invite came in. It was the end of finals week so Bob Welton called me into his office. I went up to see him and talked for a little bit. Then he got on the phone with Coach Jones and they told me together. It was surreal when it happened and I was definitely motivated when I received the invitation and excited to get it. 

RSB: At the end of finals week? That had to be a good way to end the semester?
Dobbs: Oh yeah. It was a great way to end finals week. I had several difficult finals – propulsion, aerodynamics – just to name a few. So to end that week with a bang was definitely a great feeling. 

RSB: I think I would've failed whatever exams you were just talking about but your education is well-documented. You’ve been commended a lot for the way you were able to balance academics and athletics. How really were you able to do all of that?
Dobbs: Hard work and a lot of time management. Growing up, my parents always told me academics come first. And taking pride in the classroom because you can't play sports forever as much as I wish I could. I wish I could play football forever as much as anyone does but you have to take pride in your academics. When I went to school, I definitely wanted to major in a meaningful degree and something that I was passionate in. I've excelled throughout school, in middle school and high school, so being able to challenge myself to excel in the classroom as I did in college and also on the field, it was definitely a challenge I was up for and I definitely feel like I succeeded in it during my time at Tennessee and made the most of that opportunity. 

RSB: Not every school in the country as a reputable aerospace engineering program, which was your major. You're from Alpharetta, Georgia. Why Tennessee? Was it the ability to pursue aerospace engineering or was it more football?
Dobbs: It's very interesting. I was committed actually in high school to Arizona State for a while and Tennessee kind of came in towards signing day when Coach Jones got the job at Tennessee. So I was kind of the stereotypical de-commits on Signing Day and commits to another school that we all hear about. It was interesting playing that role but when Coach came in and recruited me, the first and foremost was the school had to have what I wanted to study because that was definitely something I took pride in. So Tennessee had aerospace engineering. It had great program, a great world-renowned engineering program. And then, on top of that, Coach Jones and the rest of the coaching staff, I got a great vibe from them. I visited Tennessee really for the first time my senior year, actually for my 18th birthday, and I really fell in love with the campus. It felt like home, family atmosphere, it's close to home right down the street 3 hours away from Alpharetta, Georgia. And then the opportunity to play football at a football program with great traditions such as Tennessee was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, following the great QBs like Peyton Manning, Condredge Holloway, Tee Martin, just to name a few. It was all encompassing: it had the engineering degree, great football tradition and just felt like home. I definitely had to take advantage of the opportunity.  

RSB: That's interesting what you said about de-committing and committing on Signing Day. Why did you decide to do it that way?
Dobbs: Well, it kind of worked out like that but that obviously wasn't the intent. When I was making my college decision, I wanted to make the best decision for me and the school that I felt most at home with, felt most comfortable with. And the school that I felt that I could succeed in the most and I weighed out the pros and cons of all my options and it ended up being Tennessee. Of course with Tennessee coming in late and then I took a visit the week before Signing Day, that's kind of just how everything worked out in the end. But I feel like it worked out for the best and I know I made the right decision and I never looked back since then.

RSB: You got to end your career on a really high note but you guys were very highly touted. There was a lot of hype surrounding your program. You guys were supposed to win the SEC East this year, you were supposed to challenge Alabama for the SEC crown and that didn't happen. When you look back at this season, is there anything that you would change?
Dobbs: Of course winning a championship as any competitor I feel like would say. Obviously coming into the season we had high hopes and high expectations and we don't shy away from those expectations. We didn't get it done and of course it hurts. We had several injuries throughout the year. You play the number one team in the country with 16 of 22 starters out, so it was just the dynamic of football but throughout the season I was definitely thrilled to see just the competitive nature of my team – how we fought throughout each game, fought til the end, whether it was the thrilling comebacks at the beginning of the year or even the games we lost. Losing to Vandy, fighting til the end. And then to go out on a high note in the Music City Bowl always feels good but to see the competitive nature of the team and to see just how far the football program at Tennessee had come from when I got there as a freshman. When I got there as a freshman, my freshman year we went 5-7, there weren't many expectations around the program, there wasn't much buzz, and then to get to your senior year and the expectations are winning the SEC East, an SEC title and going to the playoffs, that's a big change in just three short years. To see all that hard work that I put in, that the rest of the seniors put in, other team captains put in, during our time at Tennessee, it was an honor to put Tennessee back on the map and that was our goal when we stepped on the campus and we were able to do that. And now we pass the torch along to the young guns and hopefully they can continue to keep the ball rolling. 

RSB: Did you feel any pressure, though? At the beginning of the season, going into the season, did you feel the pressure mounting knowing the expectations? And then once you found out that you're not going to meet those expectations, how did the dynamic change mentally?
Dobbs: So at the beginning of the season, it wasn't really pressure. It was excitement. Peyton Manning coming around, he always tells us "pressure is just something that you feel when you don't know what you're doing." And of course we knew what we were doing. We had played a lot of football. We had guys that had been playing since their freshman year that were in their third and fourth years at Tennessee. When you play in the SEC, it's competitive each and every Saturday so you have to come out and bring your game face and we knew we were going to get every team's best shot. So as the season progressed, you lose a couple games, the mindset never changed. We still wanted to put our best foot forward on Saturdays, come out prepared, ready to play, ready to represent the "T" well. And so to still be able to go out, finish with a 9-4 record, third consecutive bowl win hasn't been done in Tennessee history for the past 15-20 years, it was still an honor and we still left our legacy and left our mark at Tennessee. And now the torch is on to the freshmen, the sophomores, the juniors that have seen the hard work that we put in to the program once we arrived on campus and for them to continue to keep that momentum rolling, continue to keep the program of Tennessee successful. 

RSB: You mentioned Peyton Manning. We know Peyton Manning has been a big influence on you. What are your conversations with him like?
Dobbs: Peyton is an incredible person. Obviously we know he's an incredible player but he's definitely an incredible person. He comes back to Tennessee a lot, this year of course more post-retirement. He came to all of the big games – at home vs. Florida, Alabama, the Battle at Bristol vs. Virginia Tech. But any time I'm able to sit down in a room with him, get a chance to talk with him, I just want to pick his brain; One, on his preparation, how he approaches each and every week. How he prepares to play the best game he can on Sundays and then just seeing the type of person and all the wonderful organizations and stuff he does off the field. Peyton's definitely an iconic figure for the University of Tennessee and being one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the position, anytime you have the opportunity to sit down and talk with him, you definitely want to pick his brain for as much knowledge as you can.  

RSB: As a leader on that team, when Jalen Hurd made that decision to leave the team, what was the feeling for you?
Dobbs: For me, the feeling really never changed. I knew guys were looking to me to see how I reacted under a tough situation. So I remember getting back from South Carolina and calling a team meeting on Sunday, me and other fellow captains, and just talking to the team about how there might be distractions out there outside media trying to fill thoughts and make their own assumptions about the team but the only opinions that matter are the guys in this room and we affect how we play each and every Saturday so we have to focus in on our preparation, on how we prepare for the next upcoming week because no matter who we step on the field against, they're not gonna care about whatever distractions and things that we have going on so we have to be focused and ready to play. It showed, the way we finished out the season. I knew at that time, the team was looking toward me for my leadership, for my steady consistency and preparation and my approach each and every day and that's what I was able to offer up to the team. 

RSB: On the field, as your season went on, it looked like you got more and more comfortable throwing the ball down the field. That was a question for your offense and you started to develop that more as the season went on. Was that because of a better comfort level with you or was it play-calling? What do you attribute that to?
Dobbs: I think it was an accumulation of things. We were very successful in practice, very successful in the spring making those throws and making those catches and making those plays, being explosive plays. We were able to have those plays called in the game, we were able to make the most of the opportunity. You don't look up and leading the conference in explosive plays and leading the conference in pass touchdowns over 20 yards, that comes from preparation, that comes from putting in the extra hours in the offseason, in the summer, at the end of spring practices, the end of fall camp practices where you’re tired and the receiver doesn’t want to run another rep and it's a hot day but you know that that extra rep is going to push you over the edge and we saw that rep come in handy in several games. It's a lot of timing, a lot of practice that goes into that and we were able to make the most of that this year and use it as one of our weapons. 

RSB: There's always going to be questions, when you have the dual-threat label, play in a predominantly shotgun offense and have some of the inconsistency that you've had, of whether or not you can be a pro QB. Why can you be a pro QB?
Dobbs: I can be a pro QB because I feel like my skillset is best set for the next level. I'm excited to show that in the Senior Bowl and the upcoming events. But just my dedication to the game. I understand the game of football whether it's the QB mindset, the play-caller's intent, understanding the ins and outs of my offenses and even more importantly, understanding the ins and outs of defenses and understanding good and bad looks and different pressure looks. So my dedication to the game, my dedication to my craft, working each and every day whether it's on my footwork, under-center, in the shotgun, accuracy, arms strength, just doing any different thing to push me over the edge. And then thirdly, on my leadership. I’ve been a leader of my team as long as I played the game of football. In college, I've been team captain since my sophomore year when I came in and played against South Carolina. I've been able to lead the Tennessee football program to success. You look back at it, we've been able to win our past three bowl games, go to three bowl games, which hasn't been done in a while in school history. So I know my dedication to the game of football, my dedication to my craft and improving my craft each and every day and the dynamic leadership style I bring to the team will all make me a successful quarterback at the next level.

RSB: OK, so you're going to come here to Mobile for the Reese's Senior Bowl and have three days of practice and get the playbook. You did a summer internship with Pratt & Whitney where you worked, if I read this right, "at the world leader in design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines for the United States government." What's going to be harder, learning to build those aircrafts or getting this playbook down in three days?
Dobbs: I think I'll be able to get the playbook down. Obviously my experience at Pratt & Whitney was a once-in a-lifetime opportunity and I'm very thankful for that. But those skillsets that I was able to learn from not only my internship in how to lead and how to be a part of an organization and how to run an organization, but also in my studies, will help me in my study habits to be able to pick up on a playbook and learn it and then go out and execute it successfully over the three days at the Senior Bowl. I've been able to create a lot of habits whether it was in my schoolwork studying in the limited time I had balancing academics and athletics, learning how to focus my energy, manage my time, and be productive in my study habits. I think those habits I was able to create during college and high school will help me and will show next week during my preparation and learning the playbook for the Senior Bowl. 

RSB: Josh, I want to compliment you too on something that you did. You went and visited the victims of the wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Tell me about that experience and why you did it?
Dobbs: It was a very humbling experience to go up and visit with the victims just days after the wildfire in Gatlinburg. It was very humbling. But it was great for them to have a sense of relief and a sense of support. Thinking back on it, it's funny, it wasn't even my idea. A girl, she's a dancer from the area, she called me up the night before and said, "Hey I'm taking a group up here, I would love for you to join. I feel like your presence will go a long way for the people." When she called me and told me that, I had to jump on that opportunity and go out and show my support. To be able to visit with the victims and just talk, whether it was about football or whether it was just about life or whether it was about just the circumstances that they were in and sit down and pray with them, I know it went a long way. Whenever I'm able to use my platform in a positive way, I definitely jump at the opportunity and I was thankful I was able to visit with those victims and still constantly praying for them that they're able to recover and recuperate after such a tragedy. 

RSB: Well Josh, I know you're not supposed to believe everything that you read on the internet but I read this on the internet and I want to know whether I'm supposed to believe this or not about you. Your parents have never missed a football game in your entire life. True or false?
Dobbs: That is a hundred percent true. It just shows I have a very strong family. I'm an only child and I’m thankful for two wonderful parents, loving and supporting. They've been at all my games. Freshman year, I was supposed to redshirt, we played in Eugene, Oregon and Friday we're walking into the stadium for walk-through, I hear my name, turn around and my parents are there. That just shows their support. A game where one, I wasn't playing and two, was all the way across the country, they're still willing to sacrifice their time and energy and resources and go out just to see me stand there and support the University of Tennessee. I'm very thankful to have two wonderful parents and I know they'll be there next Saturday at the Senior Bowl and I'll be looking for them in the stands.

RSB: That's awesome. I know I'm supposed to be a neutral observer but I can't get enough Rocky Top, especially as a country music fan. I love hearing Rocky Top, seeing the whole crowd sing it. Please tell me you that you’re really going to miss that and that you have all the words to Rocky Top memorized.
Dobbs: Have to, have to. I've sung it too many times in the locker room to not have it memorized. When you go to Tennessee, everyone says you're going to hear Rocky Top, it's gonna get old. But whenever the song comes on, it truly never does get old. You always get a thrill from singing it whether it's in the locker room with your boys or just hearing it on the radio. They always say, there's a shirt being sold very popularly in Knoxville and they say, "If you hear Rocky Top, it's too late." That's true and it shows on Saturday. It will definitely be my favorite song moving forward. 

RSB: Josh, I think when your coach Butch Jones said in a press conference about you guys being champions life, I think you're exactly the type of person that he was thinking of. I really appreciate you taking the time and committing to come here to show what you can do.
Dobbs: No problem. Thank you for having me and I'm excited for the opportunity next week and to show my skills and ability and I'll definitely be excited to make it down to Mobile.