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NFL quarterback and former Tennessee Volunteer Josh Dobbs agrees with Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) on the University of Tennessee \u2014 but do they agree on the moon landing?<\/p>\n
The pro football player has a degree in aerospace engineering, so the rocket scientist wasn\u2019t missing the historic Artemis II launch Wednesday in Florida.<\/p>\n
Ahead of takeoff, Dobbs posted on X<\/a>: \u201cWe go back to the moon today. Historic\u201d \u2014 to which Burchett offered a short response that seemed to say a lot about the congressman\u2019s views on space.<\/p>\n \u201cBack?\u201d Burchett posted on X<\/a>. And just like that, an unexpected tongue-in-cheek beef was born between sports and state.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t be one of those people,\u201d Dobbs replied<\/a> to Burchett.<\/p>\n Does Burchett really buy into the conspiracy that the United States has never actually made it to the moon?<\/p>\n No! Following the fun exchange, the congressman reminded his constituents that it was April Fools\u2019 Day.<\/p>\n \u201cBreaking: Check the calendar. It was sarcasm,\u201d Burchett said<\/a>.<\/p>\n So Dobbs, who is affectionately called the \u201cPasstronaut,\u201d is united with his fellow Vols fan in bringing attention to how important the Artemis II moon mission is.<\/p>\n Wednesday\u2019s successful launch is sending the first crew back to the moon in more than 50 years. The spaceship will circle around the moon before returning to Earth.<\/p>\n Dobbs ended the online back-and-forth with a picture of Artemis II blasting through the atmosphere, inviting Rep. Burchett to the next NASA launch.<\/p>\n \u201cTim Burchett I\u2019ll see you at the next one,\u201d Dobbs said<\/a>.<\/p>\n .@timburchett<\/a> I\u2019ll see you at the next one #believe<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/LCim3KdRBH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Josh Dobbs (@josh_dobbs1) April 1, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Why is an NFL player so enthralled with space? Dobbs majored in aerospace engineering at Tennessee, where he graduated with a 4.0 on top of the grueling Southeastern Conference football schedule.<\/p>\n In 2020, Dobbs interned with NASA at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where he got to witness a SpaceX rocket launch.<\/p>\n \u201cI really felt the nervousness watching the countdown, knowing what those astronauts have gone through to get to this moment,\u201d Dobbs told NBC Sports<\/a> after the launch. \u201cBeing able to see the teamwork involved in preparation for this launch was incredible for me. It\u2019s so much like a football team \u2014 you see how everyone doing their job fits together and makes something great happen. That\u2019s what I really appreciated about the experience.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cPasstronaut\u201d certainly lives up to his name. Dobbs started a foundation<\/a> called \u201cThe ASTROrdinary Dobbs Foundation, Inc.\u201d The organization\u2019s slogan: \u201cThe Sky Is Not The Limit.\u201d<\/p>\n Through his non-profit, he\u2019s raising funds for youth-focused STEM initiatives and educational programs across Rep. Burchett\u2019s state of Tennessee and beyond.<\/p>\n Despite a busy schedule, the 31-year-old has kept up with the Artemis program for years, telling NASA back in 2020 that he couldn\u2019t wait for Americans to land on the moon \u2026 again.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously been a while since we\u2019ve gone to the moon and obviously there\u2019s a lot of reasons behind that. We were building the International Space Station, we were doing other missions. But for that to be a goal and just to see how that goal is basically the framework, the support to the next goal, the springboard to going to Mars, I think it\u2019s extremely exciting,\u201d Dobbs said<\/a>.<\/p>\n Artemis II is expected to land April 10.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n