WORCESTER—Holy Cross Crusaders’ fifth-year linebacker Jacob Dobbs has been named as one of 15 semifinalists for the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Award, presented by the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) in association with The Associated Press (AP) and the Fiesta Bowl Organization.
According to a press release, since 2018, the award has recognized college football student-athletes from all divisions of college football for overcoming injury, illness or other circumstances. At the end of each season, panelists made up of football writers, editors and sports information directors pick three college student-athletes as the Comeback Player of the Year, naming the winners at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
Dobbs suffered a dislocated elbow, a torn UCL, torn forearm and torn tricep tendon during the fourth week of the 2022 season, ending his season early after an impressive 2021 showing in which Dobbs was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award and earned All-America honors from Stats Perform, AFCA, HERO Sports and the Associated Press.
He headed back for a fifth year in 2023, re-emerging as one of the most elite defensive players in all of FCS. Dobbs was named the 2023 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in program history to earn the honor twice, continues the announcement. He additionally was named a Buck Buchanan Award finalist, the 2023 Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. He concluded the 2023 season with 123 tackles (63 solo), 12 tackles for loss, six quarterback sacks, three forced fumbles and 14 quarterback hurries. He recorded double-digit tackles in every contest; his 13.7 tackles per game and 7.0 solo tackles per game both ranked as the second-best marks in the nation.
He is now a four-time All-Patriot League selection and three-time first team honoree, and has earned All-New England honors twice in his career. He set a program record with 46.5 career tackles for loss and a Patriot League record with a total of 432 career tackles.
Dobbs served as a four-time captain for the Crusaders – just the second player in program history to hold that honor – and helped lead Holy Cross to an unprecedented five consecutive Patriot League titles, including a share of the 2023 crown, making the Crusaders the first team in Patriot League history to win five straight championships.
