How a former Tennessee Vols player did his best Josh Dobbs-impression in 2024 NFL preseason debut

Former Tennessee Vols tight end Jakob Johnson, who played at UT from 2014 to 2017, did his best Josh Dobbs impression this past weekend while making his 2024 NFL preseason debut.

Johnson, who has primarily played as a fullback in the NFL, signed with the New York Giants last Friday, and on Saturday he played eight offensive snaps against the Houston Texans.

The former Vol had about 25 hours with the playbook before making his debut with the Giants.

“I got a lot of practice cramming for exams in college, so I feel I used some of that to make this work," said Johnson to The New York Post after the game.

Johnson's whirlwind weekend with the Giants is reminiscent of what his former Tennessee teammate Josh Dobbs went through with the Minnesota Vikings last season. The Vikings traded for Dobbs on October 31 after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending injury. Dobbs led the Vikings to a win against the Atlanta Falcons just a few days later (he was forced into action after backup quarterback Jaren Hall was ruled out of the game with a concussion).

Johnson at least had the benefit of his quick debut coming in a preseason game, whereas Dobbs was thrust into action in a game that mattered for the Vikings (who were in the playoff hunt at the time).

Still, it's impressive that Johnson was able to contribute so quickly after getting signed. Then again, it probably shouldn't be a surprise -- Johnson and Dobbs were both known for their academic prowess at Tennessee.

Johnson, for example, was a Kinesiology major who spent his entire time at Tennessee on the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Related: Steve Spurrier makes strong statement about former Tennessee Vols QB Josh Dobbs