J.K. Dobbins and the heart-warming wishes of a fan's grandmother

On3 imageby:Nikki Chavanelle09/27/21

NikkiChavanelle

JK Dobbins
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Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins is getting prayers from an unlikely source as he continues his ACL rehab.

Nick Sarnelli, a fan, shared with his grandmother over a month ago that the former Ohio State Buckeye was injured. His grandmother, assuming Dobbins was a friend of her grandson, began diligently praying for his recovery.

On Sept. 25, Sarnelli shared an update that got a response from the Raven himself. Sarnelli’s grandmother recently inquired about the running back’s condition and said she’s still keeping him in her thoughts when she goes to church.

The second-round draft pick responded to Sarnelli, thanking his grandmother for the prayers, and asked him to tell her that they are working.

Torn ACL ends Dobbins’ season

Running back J.K. Dobbins’ season stopped before it started with a knee injury in Baltimore’s preseason finale against the Washington Football Team.

An MRI confirmed that Dobbins tore his ACL – a season-ending injury. The Ravens placed him on injured reserve before the final day of the preseason.

Zach Hiller, the running back’s agent, immediately took to social media to provide optimism.

“All I know is JKDobbins22 is one of the toughest guys out there,” Hiller said in a tweet. “This is only year 2 of 20.”

Year 2 hopes dashed

The Ravens selected Dobbins with the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Dobbins played in 15 games, running for 805 yards and nine touchdowns on 134 carries. He had a solid six yards per carry.

At Ohio State, Dobbins starred on the Buckeyes offense. As a freshman in 2017, he ran for 1,403 yards and seven touchdowns on 194 carries, an impressive 7.2 yards per carry.

In 2018, Dobbins ran for just over 1,000 yards with 12 total touchdowns. Dobbins led the Big Ten in rushing during his junior season in 2019. His impressive 2,003 yards and 23 total touchdowns resulted in a major leap in his NFL Draft stock.