Jon Dorenbos was a two-time NFL Pro Bowler as a extended snapper for the Philadelphia Eagles, but his biggest trick has been survival, and he’s bringing his magic display to MGM Countrywide Harbor to distribute his information of optimism with some others.
WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews Jon Derenbos at MGM Countrywide Harbor (Component 1)
He was a two-time NFL Professional Bowler as a very long snapper for the Philadelphia Eagles, but his greatest magic trick is survival, and he’s spreading his information of optimism with many others.
This Saturday, Jon Dorenbos performs his inspiring magic exhibit at MGM Countrywide Harbor.
“My present is my lifetime story,” Dorenbos told WTOP. “It’s motivating it is inspiring you are likely to see mind-blowing magic you are heading to laugh and replicate.”
Magic “helped me get out of terrible periods in my existence,” Dorenbos said. “Watching your father go to prison, viewing your mom go to heaven … how do you constantly find pleasure?”
Born in Humble, Texas, Dorenbos learned magic to cope with his tragic childhood.
“When I was 12 yrs outdated, my father murdered my mom,” Dorenbos explained. He and his sister went into rigorous treatment and short term foster treatment, “life transformed significantly and a new daily life commenced,” Dorenbos explained.
“I uncovered football, which intended I could get out aggression and anger then I discovered magic, which was the only time the outside the house planet shut down and I did not think about getting rid of my moms and dads.”
He commenced carrying out magic publicly at college expertise demonstrates. In eighth quality, “I truly did a matter that David Copperfield did on nationwide tv, where by you fold this minor piece of paper, you fold it into a rose, the paper rose floats in entrance of you and you light-weight the issue on fireplace and it results in being authentic. I really don’t imagine men and women had been anticipating that, so I received to start with place and I received a $25 reward card to Safeway, so I was like, ‘Killing it!’”
Meanwhile, he performed football in high school and junior college or university right before earning a comprehensive scholarship as a prolonged snapper at the College of Texas at El Paso. He was signed as a free of charge agent by the Buffalo Bills and performed for them for two a long time, the Tennessee Titans for two years and 12 years for the Philadelphia Eagles.
“Being a extended snapper and getting a expert is 90% psychological,” Dorenbos mentioned. “You have a single shot to do your occupation and you’re graded on that. You might play 10 performs a recreation and you gotta go 10 for 10.” Above the decades, he acquired from foreseeable future Hall of Famers, including coach Andy Reid and teammate London Fletcher, whom Dorenbos named “an complete legend.”
He commenced competing as a musician on TV’s “America’s Received Talent” in 2016, even though he was nonetheless taking part in for the Eagles.
“From 8 a.m to 5 p.m. was coaching camp in Philadelphia. I then boarded a 6:15 flight [to L.A.]. I would land for ‘AGT’ and do B-roll filming, interview filming, digital camera blocking or a rehearsal, to get back again on a airplane by 10:15, to land in Philadelphia at 7:15, to get to my 8 o’clock meeting at education camp right until 5 o’clock to fly again to L.A.”
Right after making the Major 3, he was in hot need on nationwide television, with appearances on NBC and “Ellen.”
“It’s not normally about the trick,” Dorenbos explained. “The trick is the software. I needed to be a rock star. Here’s the issue: I can not sing, I just cannot dance and I can not play an instrument, so that wasn’t heading to come about. But I discovered magic, cards, props can be my instrument and terms can be my ballad or my jam.”
His stage wardrobe is basic: jeans, limited-sleeve hoodie and backwards hat.
“[I’m not] a magician in a best hat and a go well with,” Dorenbos explained, incorporating that former teammate LeSean McCoy after instructed him, “‘Man, you sluggish as heck. You need to place a single of those velocity towels in the again of your jeans so when you run all around you glimpse more quickly on phase.’”
In 2017, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints, but was pressured to retire after crisis open coronary heart operation. “That year the Philadelphia Eagles determined to go to the Super Bowl and earn it,” Dorenbos said.
Even now, the team did not neglect about him: “The operator strike me up and reported, ‘You’ve been a element of this group for a extensive time you assisted shape the culture you aided form anything about this place. You are an Eagle for lifetime, and we want to give you a [Super Bowl] ring. … I bought to go to the parade and be on the bus.”
Now, he retains the report for the most consecutive game titles played as an Eagle, whilst touring with his magic displays, and, regardless of his beginnings, reflecting on how lucky he’s been in lifestyle.
“You just cannot wait for lifestyle to be easy to be happy,” Dorenbos stated. “If a child came up to most people in this earth and said, ‘I’m heading to make it as a magician and a professional athlete,’ most individuals would be like, ‘Sure, very good luck kid.’ In this article I am, privileged to have performed both on the greatest degree. … I still left every thing on the industry and I leave anything on stage. I’m gonna give you all the things I’ve acquired.”
WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews Jon Derenbos at MGM Nationwide Harbor (Section 2)
Listen to our entire discussion in this article.