Ricky Dobbs

Dobbs' parents divorced when he was two years old. He was raised by his mother, who battled drug addiction, while his father started a new family. His mother had five heart attacks while Dobbs was a teenager.{{cite news |last1=Ruzicka |first1=Joe |title=This Former Navy QB Is Setting Himself Up For A Post-Military NFL Career |url=https://taskandpurpose.com/news/this-former-navy-qb-is-setting-himself-up-for-a-post-military-nfl-career/ |access-date=21 August 2024 |work=Task & Purpose |date=16 December 2015}} His father was an electrician and his mother was a beautician.

Dobbs was known as "the Mayor" by his teachers at Douglas County High School in Douglasville, Georgia. He was the recipient of the Faculty Cup at his commencement ceremony in 2006. Dobbs was also voted Homecoming King & Mr.DCHS by his peers.{{cite news |last1=Heyman |first1=Brian |title=Inspired by Obama, Navy Quarterback's Sights Are Set on 2040 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/sports/ncaafootball/09navy.html |access-date=21 August 2024 |work=The New York Times |date=9 November 2009}}

He had an offer to play wide receiver for Georgia Tech, but chose Navy in part because of medical benefits for himself and family as well as opportunities beyond football and service to his country.Doug Lesmerises [http://www.cleveland.com/buckeyeblog/index.ssf/2009/09/ohio_state_football_navy_quart.html Ohio State football: Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs wants to be president] Ohio State Buckeyes Football & Basketball Blog, Analysis & Commentary by Doug Lesmerises September 03, 2009 Cleveland.com

Dobbs ran the triple option offense for the Navy Midshipmen.Thomas Boswell [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/20/AR2009112003994.html A player and team worthy of salute] Saturday, November 21, 2009 Washington Post

Dobbs rushed for 499 yards and eight touchdowns.[http://scores.espn.go.com/ncf/player/stats?playerId=240655 Player profile (stats)]{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} ESPN Navy was honored at the White House in April 2009 for winning a sixth straight Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, and Dobbs said he autographed a helmet presented to President Barack Obama five times "so Obama would remember him".

File:US Navy 091003-N-3404S-089 U.S. Naval Academy quarterback Ricky Dobbs (^4) crosses into the end zone to score a touchdown early in the first quarter.jpg.]]

During his first full year as a starter, Dobbs rushed for more than 1,000 yards and had 1031 passing yards and six passing touchdowns. The team had the second best rushing offense in terms of yards.

Dobbs missed one game and most of another with a broken bone in his knee.[http://www.sportingnews.com/college-football/article/2009-11-05/ricky-dobbs-start-qb-for-navy-against-notre-dame Ricky Dobbs to start at QB for Navy against Notre Dame] November 25, 2009 Sporting News Navy beat Notre Dame, but lost to Hawaii.

Dobbs tied Tim Tebow's record 23 rushing touchdowns for a quarterback on November 27."The sophomore ran for one touchdown, tying the college football record for most rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback at 23. He's now even with Air Force's Chance Harridge and Florida's Tim Tebow." Audrey McAvoy [http://hosted2.ap.org/MIROY/APTop25Basketball/Article_2009-11-29-FBC-Navy-Hawaii/id-p62748e0717b64848b91429400355ea29 Hawaii spoils Navy coach's island homecoming] November 29, 2009

Associated Press[https://books.google.com/books?id=SG89PQGyxtAC&q=Chance+Harridge&dq=Chance+Harridge] Chance Harridge's 22 TDs

On December 12 against arch rival Army, Dobbs ran for his 24th rushing touchdown on the season, making him at the time the record holder for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season.

Navy played in the Texas Bowl on December 31 against Missouri, their seventh straight bowl game. Dobbs ran for 166 yards and three touchdowns in the game and completed 9 of 14 passes for 130 yards and a fourth touchdown in a 35–13 victory. Dobbs finished with the NCAA record of 27 single-season quarterback rushing touchdowns and was named the game's MVP.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100104202418/http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293650142 Navy 35, Missouri 13] Recap ESPN[https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=293650142 Game recap: Navy 35, Missouri 13] ESPN

His final collegiate game was the 2011 East–West Shrine Game.{{cite web| url = http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/navy-standout-qb-looks-long-shot-nfl| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130323025902/http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/navy-standout-qb-looks-long-shot-nfl| archive-date = 2013-03-23| title = Navy standout QB looks for a long shot in the NFL {{!}} HamptonRoads.com {{!}} PilotOnline.com}}

Since his graduation, TV announcers have gotten Dobbs to be a special guest caller while on board his current ship during a few of the televised Navy Midshipmen's football games in 2012 and 2013, giving the viewers an update on his career.

After graduating the Naval Academy on May 27, 2011, Dobbs, who had studied to be a surface warfare officer, received his choice assignment of being on a destroyer.{{Cn|date=August 2024}}

At his request, Dobbs was assigned to the USS Oscar Austin, a sophisticated Arleigh Burke class destroyer.{{Cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/730890-navy-football-ricky-dobbs-and-hyatt-middleton-graduate-and-head-to-the-fleet |title=Navy Football: Ricky Dobbs and Wyatt Middleton Graduate and Head to Fleet |last=Kraetzer |first=Ken |website=Bleacher Report |language=en |access-date=2019-10-03}}

During his 2 ½-year tour aboard the ship, deployed off the coast of Somalia, Dobbs served as an ensign and main propulsion division officer, and performed maritime security operations.{{Cn|date=August 2024}}

During the televised 2014 Navy vs. Western Kentucky game, CBS Sports Network commentators John Sadak and Randy Cross announced while in a Bass Pro Shops-sponsored segment entitled "Where are they now?" that Dobbs was serving his 5-year commitment aboard the USS Sirocco, a Cyclone-class patrol ship bound for Bahrain. He spent 18 months aboard the ship serving as operations officer, executive officer, legal officer, and navigator as the vessel performed coastal patrol and interdiction surveillance in the region.{{Cn|date=August 2024}}

File:Ricky Dobbs (161122-N-OX430-203) (cropped).jpg

Dobbs was stationed at the Naval Academy through the end of 2017, working as a recruiting counselor in the admissions office. He held the title of Candidate Guidance Officer for the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.{{Cn|date=August 2024}}

He was undecided whether he would remain in the service or process out upon completion of his assignment. However, in 2016, it was reported that Dobbs still dreamt of playing professional football, whether in the NFL or the CFL. In 2016, he said he had aspirations to run for U.S. President in 2040.{{Cite web|url=http://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy_sports/ph-ac-cs-ricky-dobbs-update-0909-20160908-story.html|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20160914204316/http://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy_sports/ph-ac-cs-ricky-dobbs-update-0909-20160908-story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-09-14|title = Dobbs still dreams of playing pro football, running for president}}

On October 27, 2023, the same day that Gaza war began, it was reported that Dobbs would be deployed with his United States Navy Reserve unit to the Mediterranean Sea to deter threats to Israel.{{cite news |title=Dobbs being deployed to Mediterranean |url=https://www.douglascountysentinel.com/news/local/dobbs-being-deployed-to-mediterranean/article_be81636d-6a84-5d66-94c7-9b11d276bc65.html |access-date=22 August 2024 |work=Douglas County Sentinel |date=27 October 2023 |language=en}} Dobbs confirmed his deployment a few days later.{{cite news |last1=Redmon |first1=Jeremy |title=Douglas County commissioner deploying amid conflict in Middle East |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/douglas-county-commissioner-deploying-amid-conflict-in-middle-east/OOMT6LRBUZCZRPOZ725PT5YOUM/ |access-date=22 August 2024 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=October 30, 2023 |language=English}}

In 2012 and 2013, while still serving in the Navy, Dobbs played semi-pro football for the Virginia Cyclones. In 2013, it was reported that Dobbs still had aspirations to get a chance to try out for the NFL someday and run for the U.S. presidency.Tom Robinson [http://hamptonroads.com/2013/03/navy-standout-qb-looks-long-shot-nfl Navy standout QB looks for a long shot in the NFL] March 21, 2013 The Virginia Pilot

In 2018, Dobbs participated in the American Flag Football League, serving as captain of the Primetime team.{{cite web|last=Maya|first=Adam|url=https://www.nfl.com/news/ex-navy-qb-ricky-dobbs-shines-in-affl-quarterfinals-0ap3000000939135|title=Ex-Navy QB Ricky Dobbs shines in AFFL quarterfinals|publisher=National Football League|date=June 30, 2018|access-date=February 10, 2020}}

One of Dobbs' idols is President Barack Obama. He was vice president of USNA class of 2011. He said that he wanted to become the first black president, but after Obama was elected, he stated "I guess I'll be the second now." He had a five-year military commitment after graduation.

On May 18 2023, Dobbs was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to serve as the interim District 1 Douglas County, Georgia Commissioner in the wake of Commissioner Henry Mitchell's corruption indictment. Dobbs was joined by retired Sheriff Phil Miller who replaced Romona Jackson Jones, the Chairwoman having also been indicted for the same charges as Mitchell. Dobbs and Miller were sworn in by Superior Court Chief Justice William McClain the next day.{{cite web|url=https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/douglas-county-corruption-indictment-new-commissioners|title=Kemp appoints 2 new Douglas County commissioners in wake of corruption indictment|publisher=Fox 5 Atlanta|date=May 18, 2023|accessdate=August 21, 2023}} On August 30, 2024, Mitchell and Jackson Jones were acquitted along with their codefendants,{{cite web|url=https://www.times-georgian.com/villa_rican/3-acquitted-in-douglas-corruption-trial/article_2e8cca76-3df8-5bcc-9d4f-0f31d31efe1c.html|title=3 acquitted in Douglas corruption trial|publisher=Douglas County Sentinel|date=August 30, 2024|accessdate=April 27, 2025}} with both returning to the commission by September 4th. Dobbs was quoted as saying "I'll be back" and again affirmed his intentions to seek the presidency in 2040, following plans to run for local office in the near future.{{Cite web|last=Leftwich|first=Gary|date=September 5, 2024|title=“I’ll be back,” Dobbs says as commission term ends|url=https://www.douglascountysentinel.com/douglasville_sentinel/i-ll-be-back-dobbs-says-as-commission-term-ends/article_64ee69f6-5821-5c60-b38e-1939f909a8b4.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250427093744/https://www.douglascountysentinel.com/douglasville_sentinel/i-ll-be-back-dobbs-says-as-commission-term-ends/article_64ee69f6-5821-5c60-b38e-1939f909a8b4.html|archive-date=27 April 2025|website=Douglas County Sentinel|language=en-US}}

Dobbs is friends with NFL quarterbacks Doug Williams and Shaun King.{{Cn|date=August 2024}}

On June 13, 2010, Dobbs was awarded a key to his hometown of Douglasville, Georgia by mayor Mickey Thompson. The day was also declared "Ricky Dobbs Day" in the city.Helen McCoy [http://douglascountysentinel.com/view/full_story/7905779/article--Ricky-Dobbs-Day--honors-Navy-quarterback--DCHS-grad?instance=DShome_news_top 'Ricky Dobbs Day' honors Navy quarterback, DCHS grad] June 13, 2010 Douglas County Sentinel

After graduating from Navy, he spent eight months coaching football at the Naval Academy Preparatory School.{{cite news |last1=Lilley |first1=Kevin |last2=Myers |first2=Meghann |title=Army-Navy stars: Where are they now? |url=https://www.militarytimes.com/2014/12/10/army-navy-stars-where-are-they-now/ |access-date=22 August 2024 |work=Military Times |date=10 December 2014 |language=en}}

{{Asof|2016}}, Dobbs is an assistant coach for an 11 and under football team fielded by the Peninsula Athletic League.{{Cn|date=August 2024}}

{{Asof|2023}}, Dobbs was a physical education teacher at Douglas County High School.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.navysports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/dobbs_ricky00.html Navy Midshipmen bio]
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{{Navy Midshipmen quarterback navbox}}

{{Senior CLASS Award - Football}}

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Category:1988 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century American politicians

Category:County commissioners in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:American football quarterbacks

Category:Navy Midshipmen football players

Category:Players of American football from Atlanta

Category:United States Navy officers

Category:American Flag Football League players

Category:African-American United States Navy personnel

Category:21st-century African-American politicians

Category:21st-century Georgia (U.S. state) politicians

Category:United States Navy reservists

Category:21st-century African-American educators