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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Kevin Sweeney

The Moment Josh Dobbs Walked Into Jubilant Vikings Locker Room After Win Will Give You Goosebumps

Josh Dobbs Vikings Joshua Dobbs Viking Kevin OConnell Minnesota Vikings NFL

Joshua Dobbs’ heroic performance for the Vikings on Sunday, just days after he was acquired by the club, was one of the greatest stories of the NFL season. His fourth-quarter drive to lead Minnesota to an improbable victory over the Falcons after subbing in for the injured Jaren Hall was a remarkable moment, and naturally, he got a hero’s welcome when he returned to the locker room.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell began his postgame speech without Dobbs while the quarterback completed postgame media responsibilities on the field. While they waited for Dobbs to return to the team, O’Connell told the rest of the Vikings to make sure Dobbs felt the love when he entered the room.

Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury and quarterback Joshua Dobbs hug after their victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

“What [Dobbs] learned today is what this place is all about,” O’Connell said. “When he walks in this locker room, let’s make sure we let him hear it.”

The entire postgame speech from O’Connell is special. He called the victory “the most ‘team win’ I’ve ever been a part of” and shouted out several key players from the win.

“What makes our game so special and so great is no matter what the circumstances are, a group of men have a chance to decide ‘What do I want to do for the guy next to me?’” O’Connell said. “Regardless of if you’ve been here for about 10 minutes or… if you’ve been in this locker room a long time. We needed every last guy today.”

O’Connell eventually addressed Dobbs, giving him the game ball for his gutsy performance. After that, Vikings teammates mobbed him, eventually lifting him up onto their shoulders to complete the movie-like script.

It’s hard to know whether the Vikings will be able to sustain success with Dobbs under center, but fans loved the moment yesterday. They sure will be easy to root for the rest of the way.

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