A three-time Pro Bowl selection during his Cardinals tenure, Dobler achieved notoriety for frequently utilizing unsportsmanlike tactics against opponents, which he openly acknowledged.

He was proclaimed "Pro Football's Dirtiest Player" with a 1977 cover story in Sports Illustrated magazine and was the author of a 1988 memoir, They Call Me Dirty.

Although predominantly a defensive lineman in college, Dobler arrived at Cardinals training camp to discover the team had drafted him as a prospective offensive guard at the pro level.

[3] He attempted to win a place on the team demonstrating technique but instead found himself being cut from the squad and heading home for Wyoming just ahead of the 1972 season.

[3] After two weeks of the season, injuries struck the Cardinals' line and the team contacted Dobler and brought him back to St. Louis as a roster player.

[3] Making use of every dirty trick in the book to win battles on the line, by midseason Dobler found himself a starting guard for the Cardinals' next to Hall of Fame right tackle Dan Dierdorf.

On January 31, 1978, the Cardinals traded Dobler along with wideout Ike Harris to the New Orleans Saints for defensive end Bob Pollard and guard Terry Stieve.

[8] Hampered by injury and believing his skills to be in decline, on July 2, 1980, the Saints traded the 29-year old Dobler to the Buffalo Bills for an 8th round pick in the 1981 NFL draft.

[9] In a roster-juggling move related to league injured reserve rules and the 45-man roster limit with respect to another player, the Bills waived Dobler on September 1, only to resign him to a new contract as a free agent the following day.

[13] Dobler paid a high price for his NFL career, suffering through numerous operations to repair his battered body, including multiple knee surgeries.

Substantial medical bills for Joy's care put the Dobler family in such financial hardship that they could no longer pay for their daughter Holli or their son Stephen to attend college.

In addition to the physical toll on his body, Dobler suffered cognitive difficulties believed to be the result of football-induced brain trauma during his later years.

[16] In February 2025, ESPN reported that Dobler was posthumously diagnosed with Stage 3 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy by researchers at Boston University.