Two former Vols will battle for their first Super Bowl victory.
New England Patriots quarterback Joshua Dobbs will face off against Seattle Seahawks running back Velus Jones Jr. in Super Bowl LX. The former Tennessee stars will be competing to add a Lombardi Trophy to their resume.
Dobbs is in his ninth NFL season and was signed by the Patriots in March. The former fourth-round pick in 2017 serves as backup quarterback to Drake Maye. Before his time in the NFL, Dobbs had a storied career with the Vols.
Dobbs spent all four years of his college career at Tennessee and was named a starter midway through his true freshman season. He set the program record with 2,160 career rushing yards by a quarterback, adding another school-best 32 rushing touchdowns.
He ranks fifth in program history with 7,138 career passing yards, and his 9,360 yards of total offense rank third. Dobbs also went 3-0 in bowl games as a starter. Throughout his career, he made SEC history as well, becoming one of four SEC quarterbacks to have 50 career passing touchdowns and 25 career rushing touchdowns.
Dobbs’ career is highlighted by his performance against Georgia in 2016. He led the Vols to a 17-point comeback, capped by a 43-yard game-winning Hail Mary to Jauan Jennings.
Jones was a third-round pick in the 2022 draft. After being waived by the New Orleans Saints, he was picked up by the Seahawks practice squad midseason. Jones was elevated to the 53-man roster for both playoff games this season following injuries to running backs Zach Charbonnet and George Holani. He notched six carries for 10 yards in the NFC Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers.
Jones played his final two college seasons for the Vols after transferring from USC. As a wide receiver and return specialist in college, he was the only player in the 2021 season to have over 800 receiving yards, 200 punt return yards and 600 kickoff return yards. His performance led him to be named All-SEC First Team and SEC Co–Special Teams Player of the Year.
His single-season 1,722 all-purpose yards rank second in Tennessee history. As a sixth-year senior, Jones led the SEC with a 15.11 punt return average and 272 punt return yards.
Super Bowl LX will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, broadcasting on NBC from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. This is the first Super Bowl appearance for both Dobbs and Jones.
