Heather Bremer | CNHI Sports IndianaOhio State running back J.K. Dobbins listens to a question Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS –– It’s hard to imagine football ever dealing J.K. Dobbins a blow more punishing than real life already has.

The Ohio State star was just 15 years old when his father, Lawrence, suffered a stroke and died while incarcerated at Bartlett State Jail in Texas.

No scouting report, media misrepresentation or collision with an onrushing linebacker can cause more pain than Dobbins felt on Valentine’s Day six years ago.

“I had to mature earlier than people usually have to,” Dobbins said Wednesday at the Indiana Convention Center. “I did mature at a very early age. It definitely helped me a lot for everything that happened to me.”

And, likely, everything that’s yet to come.

The running backs will take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium for drill work at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday, but Dobbins still isn’t certain how much he’ll be able to participate.

A severe high-ankle sprain limited him during the Buckeyes’ College Football Playoff loss to Clemson, though it was difficult to tell by the numbers.

He rushed 18 times for 174 yards and a 68-yard score that was the longest run allowed by the Tigers since October 2016.

Dobbins had 142 yards and the touchdown on just nine carries in the first half but couldn’t sustain that rate after intermission.

“It definitely affected me a lot,” he said of the ankle. “It was a significant injury. It was a very high ankle sprain. It was definitely tough to even go back and battle through it.

“It hurt a lot, definitely. But I just wanted to win the game for my team and tried to get to the national championship.”

Dobbins still is not 100 percent, and he’s weighing his options this week.

The competitor in him wants to get on the field and showcase his skills. Meanwhile, the business side is exercising caution.

If he doesn’t feel he can perform at his best, Dobbins will delay his workouts until Ohio State’s Pro Day next month.

There’s little doubt his game is made for the big stage.

He admired fellow Texan Adrian Peterson growing up, and more recently he’s tried to add pieces of Carolina Panthers star Christian McCaffrey’s game to his arsenal.

Whatever he’s doing is working.

Dobbins rushed for 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns last season while averaging 6.7 yards per carry. And he was at his best in the most important moments.

Dobbins rushed for more than 150 yards in each of his final four games – 157 in a must-win game against Penn State, 211 against rival Michigan, 172 in the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin and the big day in the playoff loss.

“I always work for the spotlight moments,” Dobbins said. “(But) it’s about what I do outside of the lights. When the lights aren’t on me, there are things that I do to try to be ready for when that time comes.

“Prime time isn’t always really prime time to me. It’s like a normal day at the office because I work so hard for it. So whenever it comes to those games, I’m very prepared for it.”

No matter how hard Dobbins prepares, however, he can’t completely outrun the doubters.

All those gaudy numbers earned him only second-team all-Big Ten honors, behind Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, and he’s far from a consensus first-round pick.

Questions linger about a disappointing sophomore season in which he averaged just 4.6 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns. Some evaluators also wonder about his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, despite his 71 career receptions in three seasons at Ohio State.

It’s a familiar role for Dobbins, who always seems to be cast as an underdog.

“I come from humble beginnings,” he said. “With my father not being here, losing him at 15, it was definitely tough for me. Just being here is a blessing.

“If I get to compete (in on-field drills), I’m going to try to put on a big show for you guys. A lot of people will know I belong here.”