Philadelphia’s Got Talent: Jon Dorenbos

These past few weeks have been quite hectic for the Philadelphia Eagles. The past two weeks have seen numerous players cut, and others picked up through waivers. The team also shipped Sam Bradford to the Vikings for two draft picks, making rookie Carson Wentz the main guy in Philly. There has been no shortage of headlines on the field from the Eagles, but there have also been some off the field that are just as newsworthy.

The main story being long-snapper Jon Dorenbos and his amazing run on America’s Got Talent. Dorenbos has been in the league since 2003, and has been long-snapper for the Eagles since 2006. Since the 2007 season Dorenbos has not missed a game, and has continually proven to be one of the best long-snappers in the NFL. Although his skills on the field is great, it is his skills off the field that is making him a household name.

This past summer Droenbos decided to reveal his off-the-field talent, magic, to the entire country. Dorenbos impressed the judges with his audition, which consisted of crazy card tricks, received a yes from every judge, and has not looked back since. Dorenbos has performed three times thus far, making it to the final round, while thrilling millions of Americans with his antics. In his semifinal performance Dorenbos even incorporated long-snapping footballs into his act, showcasing both of his skillsets on stage.

Dorenbos already has over seven million views from his performances on Youtube, with his quarterfinal video alone garnering 4.5 million.

In his first introduction, Dorenbos said that magic has always been one of his fascinations, ever since he was on the receiving end of a magic trick as a child. Winning the competition would mean getting Dorenbos would win a million dollars, and have his name spread across the nation, and most likely earning him a spot in Las Vegas showroom, or other popular institutions to showcase his skill.

In regards to why a NFL player would go on a show like America’s Got Talent, Dorenbos has said that the NFL stands for “not for long”, and that winning would be a great backup plan for whenever his football career comes to an end.

Jon Dorenbos is a great example that a people’s dreams really can come true. Dorenbos has now succeeded in accomplished two of his life goals, playing in the NFL, and performing magic in front of the entire country. Dorenbos still has one more round to go, but the Eagles long-snapper has already accomplished everything he has sought out to do, but winning would still be great.