Liam Dobson
{{Short description|Canadian gridiron football player (born 1994)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Liam Dobson
| image = 2022, 64, Liam Dobson.jpg
| caption = Dobson with the Blue Bombers in 2022
| current_team = Hamilton Tiger-Cats
| number =
| position = Offensive lineman
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|2|6}}
| birth_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lbs = 315
| high_school = Canada Prep Academy
St. Mark Catholic High
| college = {{ubl|Maine (2017–2020)|Texas State (2021)}}{{cite web |title= CFL profile |url= https://www.cfl.ca/players/liam-dobson/166237/ |website= Canadian Football League |access-date= February 9, 2023}}
| cfldraftyear = 2021
| cfldraftround = 1
| cfldraftpick = 3
| undraftedyear =
| pastteams =
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers ({{CFL Year|2022|2024}})
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats ({{CFL Year|2025}}–present)
| status = Active
| cflstatus = National
| highlights =
- CFL West All-Star ({{CFL Year|2024}})
| cfl = liam-dobson/166237/
}}
Liam Dobson (born February 6, 1998) is a Canadian professional football offensive lineman for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Maine Black Bears and Texas State Bobcats.
College career
=Maine=
A highly-touted prospect out of Canada, Dobson was recruited by number of FBS and FCS schools, including Syracuse, Buffalo, Maine, Colgate, and Fordham. Dobson committed to Maine. In his 2017 freshman season, he participated in six games on an offensive line which allowed the fewest sacks in the CAA. In 2018 Dobson stepped into the starting lineup at right guard, helping guide Maine to the CAA Championship and into the final four of the FCS Playoffs. After the season Dobson received All-CAA second team honors and was named an honorable mention on HERO Sports' Sophomore All-American team.
The following season, Dobson was named to the 2019 Preseason All-CAA team. He started all 12 games, splitting time between guard and tackle, and averaged twelve knockdowns per game en route to STATS FCS All-American, All-CAA, and Phil Steele FCS All-Conference honors. Additionally, Dobson was the recipient of Maine's annual honor for offensive linemen: the Sam Sezak Outstanding Offensive Lineman award.
Dobson again received Preseason All-American and All-Conference accolades in 2020. However, after the postponement of the CAA football season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dobson entered the transfer portal.{{Cite web |title=Liam Dobson – 2019 – Football |url=https://goblackbears.com/sports/football/roster/liam-dobson/4743 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=University of Maine |language=en}}
=Texas State=
Dobson received numerous scholarship offers from FBS schools once in the transfer portal, ultimately committing to Texas State. After his one season in San Marcos, he was named a PFF All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention while also making the Dean List.{{Cite web |title=Liam Dobson – 2021 – Football |url=https://txst.com/sports/football/roster/liam--dobson/9111 |access-date=December 7, 2023 |website=Texas State University |language=en}}
Professional career
=Winnipeg Blue Bombers=
After failing to get picked up by an NFL team after mini-camps with the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears, Dobson expressed interest in joining the United States Football League but found that the league was not allowed to issue the necessary P visa due to a lack of revenue.{{cite news |title= New Bombers O-lineman Dobson all-in on CFL after USFL deal fell through |author= Ted Wyman |url= https://winnipegsun.com/sports/football/cfl/winnipeg-bluebombers/new-bombers-o-lineman-dobson-all-in-on-cfl-after-usfl-deal-fell-through |date= May 21, 2022 |access-date= August 9, 2023}}
Dobson was drafted in the first round, third overall, by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2022 CFL Draft and signed with the team on May 20, 2022.{{cite web |title=Bombers sign 2021 third overall pick Liam Dobson after failed attempt to join USFL |url=https://3downnation.com/2022/05/20/bombers-sign-2021-third-overall-pick-liam-dobson-after-failed-attempt-to-join-usfl/ |publisher=3DownNation |date=May 20, 2022}} He made his professional debut on June 24, 2022, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as a backup offensive lineman.{{cite web|url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2050/11/2024-CFL-Guide-Digital.pdf |title=2024 CFL Guide |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 11, 2025}} He dressed in 16 regular season games in 2022 and started in one. He also played in both post-season games, including the 109th Grey Cup where the Blue Bombers lost to the Toronto Argonauts.
In the 2023 season, Dobson dressed in all 18 regular season games, starting in one, and also dressed in both post-season games. In 2024, he earned a starting job as he started in all 18 regular season games and was named a CFL Western Division All-Star.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bluebombers.com/2024/10/30/seven-named-all-cfl-team/ |title=Seven named to All-CFL team |publisher=Winnipeg Blue Bombers |date=October 30, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://static.cfl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024-GN-Gm-95-Wpg-vs-Tor-GC111-1.pdf |title=111th Grey Cup notes |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=November 25, 2024}} He also started in both post-season games, but lost his third Grey Cup game in a row.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/games/6486/winnipeg-blue%20bombers-vs-toronto-argonauts/#playbyplay |title=Play-by-Play, 111th Grey Cup |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=November 17, 2024}} He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 11, 2025.{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2025/ |title=Transactions – Football Player Trades and Signings |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 11, 2025}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.cfl.ca/fa25/ |title=Official 2025 Free Agent Tracker |publisher=Canadian Football League |access-date=February 11, 2025}}
=Hamilton Tiger-Cats=
On February 11, 2025, Dobson signed a two-year contract with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.{{Cite news |url=https://www.ticats.ca/2025/02/11/ticats-add-west-all-cfl-offensive-lineman-liam-dobson/ |title=Ticats Add West All-CFL Offensive Lineman Liam Dobson |publisher=Hamilton Tiger-Cats |date=February 11, 2025}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://www.ticats.ca/players/liam-dobson/166237/ Hamilton Tiger-Cats bio]
- [https://txst.com/sports/football/roster/liam--dobson/9111 Texas State Bobcats bio]
- [https://goblackbears.com/sports/football/roster/liam-dobson/4743 Maine Black Bears bio]
{{Hamilton Tiger-Cats roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dobson, Liam}}
Category:Canadian football people from Ottawa
Category:American football offensive guards
Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players
Category:Maine Black Bears football players
Category:Texas State Bobcats football players
Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers players
Category:Canadian football offensive linemen