Pittsburgh Steelers retired Quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger will head to the Hall of Fame within the next five years. He won two Super Bowls and played an incredible 18 seasons with the organization. Throughout his time, he came across hundreds of players and worked closely with several different signal-callers who worked as his backups.
Recently, a former fourth-round selection of the franchise, Joshua Dobbs got his first career start since entering the league in 2017. It came during a Week 17 Thursday Night Football game and while his current team, the Tennessee Titans didn't get the victory, he earned another week as the number one guy in a win-and-in Week 18 matchup.
NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 29: Joshua Dobbs #11 of the Tennessee Titans motions towards the sideline against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at Nissan Stadium on December 29, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. | Photo Credit: Cooper Neill / Getty Images
Dobbs spoke to local media on Tuesday as he prepares for the Titans' enormous game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday night. The winner will win the division and move on to the playoffs, while Tennessee has no chance of sneaking in as a Wild Card if they don't win the game. A reporter asked Dobbs about his relationship with Roethlisberger and how playing under him has helped him get ready for this opportunity. He said one thing really stood out.
"Just watching how he prepared. I think a lot of times in the media, he might get some slack for his preparation, but he's Ben, ya know? He's played a lot of football, seen a lot of football. How he prepared for these big games, I've definitely taken a lot of notes," Dobbs said.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers motions from the line of scrimmage against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on November 01, 2020, in Baltimore, Maryland. | Photo Credit: Todd Olszewski / Getty Images
He specifically spoke on how Roethlisberger got ready for the big games late in the season. There were multiple occasions when the Steelers needed to win to get into or drastically improve their chances of making the playoffs. Dobbs touched on his personal experience with one of the best quarterbacks to take the field in the 21st century.
"Pittsburgh went to the playoffs three times when I was up there so seeing his preparation a couple times and it was up to that last game to get into the playoffs and seeing how consistent he was, how he poured into the guys, how he'd just talk about the details with the wide receivers for some time and spacing on the field and that you saw that unfold throughout the game. Just taking tidbits from that to my game has been crucial," Dobbs said.
The fairly recent addition to the Titans' quarterback room said that Roethlisberger even joked with him about his first career start which came a little less than a week ago against the Dallas Cowboys, in which Tennessee lost 27-13.
"When I get back to my phone, we texted a bit about the game. He said 'thanks for giving me a reason to watch Thursday Night Football.' It's good to have that relationship. He's a Hall of Famer so I'm really thankful for that relationship and I appreciate his support," Dobbs said.
CANTON, OHIO - AUGUST 5: Joshua Dobbs #5 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs the ball in the second half during the 2021 NFL preseason Hall of Fame Game against the Dallas Cowboys at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on August 5, 2021, in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Roethlisberger got a lot of heat throughout his career regarding his actions in the locker room. His leadership had been put into question so many times, but Dobbs' comments clearly contradict what many believe about the Steelers' legend.
What are your thoughts on the comments from Dobbs about Roethlisberger? Let us know in the comments below!
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