Injury timeline for Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins over the years

Lower body injuries are significant for any football player to overcome, but they're notoriously difficult on running backs. That's what makes Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins such a unique success story.

Dating back to his senior year of high school in 2016, Dobbins has suffered six major leg injuries in the last decade, including one just last year. Any one of those injuries could have seriously impacted his career, especially for someone playing his position. But through 10 weeks of the 2024 NFL season, the Chargers' starting tailback is 10th in the NFL in rushing yards and tied for eighth in rushing touchdowns.

With the Chargers set to play the Cincinnati Bengals on "Sunday Night Football" this week, here's a comprehensive look at Dobbins' injury history:

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J.K. Dobbins injury history

• Aug. 26, 2016: Dobbins suffers a broken fibula and ligament damage in his ankle on the first play of his first game as a high school senior. The game ended up lasting less than a quarter due to lightning in the area, but Dobbins, who is already an Ohio State commit, misses the remainder of the season because of the injury.

• Dec. 28, 2019: The then-Ohio State running back suffers a high-ankle sprain in what would be the final game of his collegiate career: the 2019 Fiesta Bowl. That year, the New Year's Six bowl was one of the College Football Playoff semifinal games. Dobbins returns to the game after the injury, but Ohio State fell to Clemson.

• Aug. 28, 2021: During the Ravens' record-breaking 20th-straight preseason win, Dobbins suffers a catastrophic injury to his left leg. According to initial reports, the then-second-year running back tore his ACL after being tackled by two Washington defenders. However, Dobbins later reveals that he also tore his LCL, meniscus and hamstring during the hit. He misses the entirety of the 2021 season recovering.

• Oct. 16, 2022: In a 24-20 loss to the New York Giants in Week 6, Dobbins' injured knee flares up again. The running back decides to undergo another surgery to "speed up" his recovery process. He misses six games as a result.

• Sept. 10, 2023: Dobbins suffers his most recent leg injury in a Week 1 game against the Houston Texans. After the game, head coach John Harbaugh reveals that the running back tore his Achilles and would miss for the remainder of the season.

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J.K. Dobbins stats

Through 10 weeks, here's what Dobbins has been able to accomplish with his second team, the Chargers:

• Rush attempts: 141

• Rushing yards: 670

• Yards per attempt: 4.8

• Rushing touchdowns: 6

• Receptions: 24

• Receiving yards: 112

• Yards per reception: 4.7

• Receiving touchdowns: 0

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: J.K. Dobbins injury timeline: Chargers RB injury history