49ers reserve Dobbs shares how aviation hobby intersects with football originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
New 49ers quarterback Josh Dobbs didn’t spend the offseason like most other football players.
Teammates Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey got married; George Kittle held another portion of Tight End University.
Dobbs, on the other hand, completed 35 of the 40 hours required to earn his private pilot license.
During the 49ers media availability on Wednesday After Day 7 of training camp, Dobbs detailed his off-field interests, which may not be typical of his peers.
“I have always had a passion and affinity for aviation and aerospace engineering,” Dobbs told reporters; as a result, he earned the nickname “Passtronaut”. “I try to use my platform to show that you can be an NFL football player, but also, if you want to be really good at something else and you have the time and work ethic, you can do that too.”
Naturally, Dobbs made sure to get a good view of the solar eclipse in April, observing the event from Cleveland – where the sun was completely obscured by the moon.
Later in the offseason, the veteran backup revealed he began flying in the Bay Area during OTAs. However, now that training camp is underway, Dobbs is putting his driving goal on the back burner until the end of the season.
“I will continue to choose different things during my free time to continue to grow in this world,” Dobbs explained. “But while I’m here, when it’s football season, my time and attention are all focused on the ball.”
However, aviation may not be the worst distraction during the fall. After all, Dobbs argues that football and aviation have more in common than one might think.
“In fact, there are many intersections. [While flying], you need to talk to the FAA. They say a call and you have to repeat it very specifically. You have a lot of things going on,” Dobbs highlighted.
“It’s like you’re sitting in the pocket, you have to call one of Coach Shanahan’s plays. They get really wordy there, so it was a good crossover between the two.”
For now, Dobbs is focused on winning the backup quarterback job in San Francisco. But his stellar play last season should give the team confidence that – should something happen to Brock Purdy, knock on wood – the “Passtronaut” is capable of leading the 49ers to the playoffs.
