Jon Dorenbos
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Jonathan Paul Dorenbos (; born July 21, 1980) is a former American football long snapper and
magician Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...
. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at the University of Texas at El Paso and was signed by the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
as an undrafted free agent in 2003. Dorenbos also played for the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he played 11 seasons and played in 162 consecutive games. After getting traded to the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 preseason, it was discovered Dorenbos had an
aortic aneurysm An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement (dilatation) of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size. They usually cause no symptoms except when ruptured. Occasionally, there may be abdominal, back, or leg pain. The prevalence of abdominal aortic ...
that required immediate surgery and ended his career. The trade was rescinded and the Eagles returned the pick to the Saints. The Eagles went on to win Super Bowl LII that season, and it was announced Dorenbos would get an honorary Super Bowl ring. Dorenbos has a parallel career as a professional magician. He was a finalist on
season 11 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
of the television program ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'', performing his magic acts. He finished in third place for the season.


Early life and education

Dorenbos was born in Humble, Texas and grew up in Woodinville, Washington. On August 2, 1992, when he was 12, his mother, Kathy, was killed by his father, Alan, a software specialist. His father was charged with and convicted of second-degree murder, and sentenced to 13 years and eight months in prison. Dorenbos was sent to a foster home. After a legal battle, he was adopted by his aunt and uncle, Susan and Steve Hindman. To ease his mind, Dorenbos turned to performing magic. Dorenbos had a brief reunion with his estranged father in 2019, and said that he has forgiven him for murdering his mother. Dorenbos attended Pacifica High School in
Garden Grove, California Garden Grove is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, located just southwest of Disneyland (located in Anaheim, CA). The population was 171,949 at the 2020 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, ...
, where he was a
letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...
in
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
, basketball, hockey and baseball. He earned all-league honors in football and baseball. He made the dean's list and was an honor-roll student in high school. Dorenbos originally attended
Golden West College Golden West College (GWC) is a public community college in Huntington Beach, California. Organization Golden West College, Orange Coast College, and Coastline Community College comprise the Coast Community College District (CCCD). The district ...
in
Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...
. During his freshman year, his best friend who was attending University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Paul Tessier, called to ask if he would like to be the long snapper for the
UTEP Miners football The UTEP Miners football program represents University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the sport of American football. The Miners compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the West Div ...
team. At the time, Dorenbos was not the long snapper at Golden West; he played linebacker and
fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
. He took some video footage from high school, added footage of the Golden West long snapper, and sent it to the coaches at UTEP. He was eventually recruited and became the long snapper for UTEP in 23 games over three seasons. He averaged almost 10 tackles each year at UTEP on punt coverage. Dorenbos earned a business degree from UTEP, with emphasis in economics, finance and marketing.


Football career


Predraft

At UTEP's Pro Day workout, which six teams attended, Dorenbos averaged 0.62 seconds in snapping the ball to the punter. One snap was timed at 0.59 seconds. A good time in the NFL is considered between 0.70 seconds and 0.75 seconds. Then- St. Louis Rams special teams coach
Bobby April Robert April, Jr. (born April 15, 1953) is an American football coach. He has held various special teams coaching positions in the National Football League (NFL). Coaching career College career April coached college football at Southern Miss ...
said of his workout, "Even on tape it's clear the guy is amazing. He's the best I've seen this year. And he might be the best in a lot of years, maybe among the top guys I've ever seen...But I'll tell you, Dorenbos is something else, he really is, man." Dorenbos was personally interviewed by only six teams.


Buffalo Bills

After college, Dorenbos was signed as a long snapper by the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
as an undrafted free agent following the
2003 NFL Draft The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...
. He was one of only two undrafted free agents to make the team in
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
. He played in his first NFL game on September 7, 2003, against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. He played in all 16 games for the Bills in 2003. In
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, he led the league in tackles at his position. He played in the first 13 games of the 2004 season before damaging knee ligaments and being placed on the
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
list, ending his season. After training camp in
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, Dorenbos was waived on September 6 during final roster cuts.


Tennessee Titans

Dorenbos was signed by the Tennessee Titans on October 26, 2005, the same day he worked out for the team. He played in the last nine games of the 2005 season. He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent in free agency in 2006, but the Titans decided not to offer him a tender. He became an unrestricted free agent on March 3. He was not signed for training camp in 2006, but was re-signed on October 13 by the Titans for an October 15 game against the Washington Redskins. He was released on October 25.


Philadelphia Eagles

Dorenbos was signed to a two-year contract by the Philadelphia Eagles on November 29, 2006, after Mike Bartrum suffered a career-ending neck injury. He played in the last seven games of the 2006 season, including 2 postseason games. He made two special team tackles in 2006. In
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, he played in all 16 games for the Eagles, and on December 29, 2007, he signed a five-year contract extension that kept him under contract through the 2012 season. He made six total special team tackles in 2007. In
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, he played in all 16 games for the second-consecutive season. He made five special team tackles in 2008. Dorenbos arrived late to training camp in
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
after he caught
shingles Shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or face. ...
and could not get on an airplane to fly to
Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the nor ...
, where Eagles training camp was held. He played in all 16 games in 2009, and made four special team tackles. On January 20, 2010, Dorenbos was named to the NFC's Pro Bowl team. On March 11, 2013, he re-signed with the Eagles. On January 16, 2015, Dorenbos was named to his second Pro Bowl team. Following the releases of veterans Trent Cole and Todd Herremans in the 2015 offseason, Dorenbos became the Eagles' longest tenured player. On November 18, 2016, Dorenbos signed a three-year, $3.395 million contract extension with the Eagles through 2019. He was placed on injured reserve on December 12, 2016, following surgery for an injured wrist.


New Orleans Saints and retirement

On August 28, 2017, the Eagles traded Dorenbos to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2019 seventh-round draft pick. On September 7, it was revealed that Dorenbos was diagnosed with
aortic aneurysm An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement (dilatation) of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size. They usually cause no symptoms except when ruptured. Occasionally, there may be abdominal, back, or leg pain. The prevalence of abdominal aortic ...
, which required immediate heart surgery. He was placed on the non-football illness list by the Saints the same day, and released with an injury settlement on September 9 before retiring. On February 4, 2018, the Eagles won Super Bowl LII; Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie promised after the game that Dorenbos would receive a Super Bowl ring alongside the rest of the organization. Dorenbos was presented with his Super Bowl ring on June 21, 2018.


Magic career

Dorenbos is a professional
magician Magician or The Magician may refer to: Performers * A practitioner of magic (supernatural) * A practitioner of magic (illusion) * Magician (fantasy), a character in a fictional fantasy context Entertainment Books * ''The Magician'', an 18th-ce ...
, who has performed in Las Vegas and
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
and on ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
''. He collects the autographs of every famous person he performs for on playing cards, which he hangs up in his house. He has also performed for former Bills teammates
Alex Van Pelt Gregory Alexander Van Pelt (born May 1, 1970) is an American football coach and former player who is the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the ...
and
Jonas Jennings Jonas Duran Jennings (born November 21, 1977) is a former American football offensive tackle that played in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He has also played for t ...
.


''America's Got Talent''

In 2016, he performed on the eleventh season of ''
America's Got Talent ''America's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated as ''AGT'') is a televised American talent show competition, and is part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. The program is produced by Fremantle (as well as distribut ...
'' and made it through the auditions with a card trick. In the Judge Cuts round, Dorenbos got the golden buzzer from guest judge Ne-Yo and immediately advanced to the next round. In the quarterfinal round of the Live Shows, Dorenbos asked all 4 judges to draw something on paper, predicted which judge drew what, and then a bottle was broken that contained his correct predictions of all of the judges' drawings. In the semifinals, he asked the judges to throw a football at a U.S. map, then revealed 4 quarters from a locked chest whose "tail" sides represented the states hit by the judges' footballs. Dorenbos also revealed a hidden map that predicted the locations of the judges' throws. This performance resulted in his advancing to the Top 10 finals on September 13, 2016, where he told an inspirational story while manipulating playing cards that the judges signed. He finished in 3rd place for the season, with Austrian magician and mentalist duo The Clairvoyants in second place and fellow contestant Grace VanderWaal as the winner.Curtis, Charles
"Eagles' Jon Dorenbos needs his own Vegas show"
'' USA Today'', September 15, 2016
In 2019 it was announced he will compete on '' America's Got Talent: The Champions''. He performed in the third episode of the series and was the third-runner up for his episode behind Billy & Emily England and Paul Potts. However, he was advanced to the final with the wildcard. He then was eliminated in the final 12 missing out on advancing to the final 5 acts.


Other ventures

In the offseason, Dorenbos serves as a corporate motivational speaker and has spoken for companies such as The Home Depot, the
National FFA Organization National FFA Organization is an American 501(c)(3) youth organization, specifically a career and technical student organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agriculture, agricultural education. It was founded i ...
, Pioneer Investments, Jackson Hewitt,
Comcast Comcast Corporation (formerly known as American Cable Systems and Comcast Holdings),Before the AT&T merger in 2001, the parent company was Comcast Holdings Corporation. Comcast Holdings Corporation now refers to a subsidiary of Comcast Corpora ...
and ING Group. He is the executive producer of an album called ''Stripped Down'' with singer Steve Carlson, who is also his best friend. Dorenbos started his own business in Buffalo, New York, called DAC Framing. He works with several charities, including Brian Moorman's "Punt Foundation," which helps children with terminal diseases, and
Garth Brooks Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...
' "Teammates for Kids". Dorenbos is the host of ''Inside the Eagles'', which airs on Eagles Television Network. In 2009, he won a Mid Atlantic Emmy Award for his performances.


Personal life

During a physical, Dorenbos was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, and required open-heart surgery. He has since recovered and is doing well. Dorenbos appeared on '' The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' as a helper in November 2017 and March and May 2018.


References


External links

* *
Philadelphia Eagles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorenbos, Jon 1980 births Living people America's Got Talent contestants American football long snappers American magicians People from Garden Grove, California Sportspeople from Huntington Beach, California Players of American football from California Golden West Rustlers football players People from Humble, Texas Players of American football from Texas Sportspeople from Harris County, Texas UTEP Miners football players Buffalo Bills players Tennessee Titans players Philadelphia Eagles players New Orleans Saints players National Conference Pro Bowl players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players Ed Block Courage Award recipients