He uses social media to give fans a look into what life is like for an NFL player
The team store for the Vikings is fully stocked with Josh Dobbs jerseys. The team store for the Arizona Cardinals couldn’t say the same thing earlier this season.
That much the 28-year-old Dobbs jokingly shed light upon a couple of months ago when he posted a video on TikTok that ended up going viral. As the starting quarterback for the Cardinals at the time, he filmed himself inside the team store trying to buy his jersey for a family member, only to realize that wasn’t an option. That clip has been viewed 1.3 million times.
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The following day he posted another video on TikTok, taking to the camera, and revealing that the team store had his jersey available for purchase. That clip has been viewed 1.4 million times.
“It’s fun,” Dobbs said. “I think TikTok is a great opportunity for everybody to show their personality.”
Now the starting quarterback for the Vikings, preparing for a home game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, he has decided to continue the trend of going viral.
After introducing himself by leading the Vikings to a highly improbable 31-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons this past weekend, Dobbs posted a video on TikTok to commemorate his journey in Minnesota so far.
He thanked the fan base for the warm welcome with a 55-second edit that spliced together various highlights from the past week. The backing track was none other than “Higher” by Creed, an ode to franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins, who continuously shouted out the rock band before going down with a torn Achilles tendon.
Though he admitted somebody else helped him produce the clip, which has already been viewed 1.1 million times, Dobbs had to take some credit for his role in the creative process.
“I did pick the song; I did pick Creed,” Dobbs said. “I was in the locker room before the game and somebody was like, ‘Turn on Creed.’ Obviously, it’s a little different than the typical locker room pregame music, so I had to get up to speed on it all. I’m taking it and running with it.”
Not unlike most millennials nowadays, Dobbs is very active on social media, regularly posting on TikTok, Instagram and the platform formerly known as Twitter. Why does he do it?
“As athletes we live such unique lives that people want to know more about,” Dobbs said. “I just try to be as real as possible with what I go through on a daily basis.”
His personality is effectively reflected in the lighthearted stuff he posts. He’s the same person in every video whether it goes viral or not.
“I hope people enjoy my content,” he said with a smile. “I also think it provides them with some insight, whether it’s about being a professional football player, whether it’s about being an aerospace engineer, or whether it’s about being Josh Dobbs as a human.”