PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If you know of Jon Dorenbos, you probably know of his incredibly inspirational story, whether he shared it in his time with the Philadelphia Eagles or during his memorable summer as a magician on “America’s Got Talent.”
Magic has had a major influence on his life, but it has also helped the former long snapper on the football field.
“Magic taught me that you can work on something over and over and over and get really good at it no matter how hard it is,” Dorenbos told KYW Newsradio, ahead of his weekend show in Philadelphia.
“Your dedication, your thought process and your ability to overcome these little obstacles to teach yourself is just so valuable in life.”
Dorenbos started snapping in high school and college football. He went on to that position with the Eagles for parts of 11 seasons.
“I found out that I love doing something over and over,” he recalled. “I love the repetition of doing a rep over and over and over in search of the perfect rep … so snapping was just that, right? You got a 15-yard, an eight-yard snap. Pretty much I did the same thing over and over and over, and so magic gave me the discipline, I think, to perfect the art of snapping.”
Dorenbos, who now lives in Southern California, is returning to Philly for his “Life is Magic” show Saturday at Live! Casino & Hotel, near the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The title is shortened from his book — “Life Is Magic: My Inspiring Journey from Tragedy to Self-Discovery.”
Dorenbos often works as a motivational speaker, sharing his story of overcoming the childhood trauma he endured when his father killed his mother and the circumstances that followed.
"Throughout life, we make a choice,” he said. “You can argue that you can’t really control the emotions that you feel, but you can definitely control the decisions you control — your thoughts, how you talk to yourself and how you treat people, and happiness is a decision. So, to me, ‘Life is Magic’ isn’t just about the trick. It’s about the signs you see in the world. It’s about finding motivation to feed. It’s about the process of learning that, hey, we don’t need to listen to ourselves and self-doubt. Instead, we can talk to ourselves.
“We live in vision, not circumstance. It’s all these decisions every day to find happiness. And me, magic was the avenue … that was my outlet. That was my escape. And that is ‘Life is Magic.’ ”
Dorenbos is looking forward to the feeling of a homecoming for this weekend’s performance, and he said he has new stories and new tricks up his sleeve, too.