SANTA CLARA, Calif. — No, Joshua Dobbs wasn’t inspired by Ilona Maher and the U.S. women’s Olympic rugby team.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback, seen warming up with a rugby ball before Saturday’s preseason game, has had that routine for a while. Dobbs explained that he was watching a group of receivers warm up by catching a rugby ball three offseasons ago.
“So I just hopped into their warmup line and started throwing the ball with them,” he said. “Then I picked up a football and it felt tiny. So I just liked how a football felt in my hand after throwing a rugby ball.”
Dobbs said the routine helps his confidence. The rugby ball is fatter and slicker, and there are no laces. If he feels he can be accurate with it, an NFL football is a snap.
“I feel like I can put a football wherever I want after I throw the rugby ball,” he said.
And it’s not just a pregame ritual. He does it before practices and has a rugby ball at home.
“I just went to Dick’s and bought one,” he said. “During the offseason I do the same thing before I throw: I get 16 throws with the rugby ball and then hop into my normal warmup with the football.”
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