This outstanding citizen was raised on a cattle ranch in Horseshoe Bend, Idaho. Joe Dobson completed a highly successful academic and athletic career in football, basketball and track at Emmett High School.
Joe was an all-conference athlete recruited by Idaho Coach Dee Andros to attend the University of Idaho in 1962. Dobson was a starter at tackle, opening great holes for AllAmerican Ray McDonald for three varsity years under Andros and Steve Musseau. Joe was a first-team selection on the Big Sky Conference all-star team, also serving as co-captain his senior year.
He was the fifth-ever Idaho player selected to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Drafted by the New York Jets in the 12th round and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 7th round, he signed with the Steelers. Joe survived the final cut with the Steelers but was waived to Toronto and the Norfolk, Virginia, Neptunes in the Continental League. Three weeks into the season, Dobson returned to Idaho when his daughter was born. He then entered Idaho's Graduate School of Agriculture and coached freshman football. Dobson then moved to Coeur d'Alene as a state extension agent. During this time he also managed a resident cattle operation at Hayden Lake for more than five years. He was highly active in youth activities, expanding the 4-H program from 260 to 1350 members over this period. He helped organize the Coeur d'Alene Junior Tackle football program with the aid of two Hall of Famers, Cotton Barlow and the late Ron McDonald.
1972 brought a new career in real estate when Joe joined the Coeur d'Alene Realty as an agriculture and ranch-land expert. Later he moved to the Coldwell Bankers Schneidmiller Realty in 1977. He has been a consistent $2 million producer and is highly visible in the local, North Idaho and state Cattleman's Association. During this time he also refereed football for the North Idaho Officials Association. Idaho's Governor Evans appointed Dobson to the Idaho Beef Council in 1 981 , serving as chairman for two years. Joe also served as chairman of the promotional phase for the Idaho Cattle Association.
He is currently co-owner of the Dobson-Rossi ranch at Hayden Lake, raising more than 100 head of cattle and leasing 2500 acres of grazing land. Joe has served on the selection committee of the Idaho Sports Banquet for 20 years, and he is a new board member of the Idaho Hall of Fame, Inc. The Dobson family of five includes his wife, Cindy, older daughter, Mary Gomer of Boise, 18-year-old Amy, who is a student at North Idaho College, and eight-year-old Tanya, who attends Hayden Elementary school. Joe Dobson is a highly-respected business-civic minded citizen gaining great accolades throughout Idaho and will be high acclaimed as a new Hall of Famer.