Jon Dorenbos performs card tricks at the meet and greet following the show.
Philadelphia Eagles long snapper Jon Dorenbos is quite the entertainer, as he demonstrated Wednesday night at the NovaCare Center for a night of magic hosted by Eagles Youth Partnership. Dorenbos performed to an audience of Radiothon contest winners, teammates, families and fans with proceeds of the event benefiting EYP’s programs.
In the Philadelphia Eagles Magic Show, Dorenbos was part comedian, part motivational speaker and all showman as he brought audience members on stage to take part in card tricks, disappearing wedding ring acts, and other tricks that had kids off their seats and adults smiling ear to ear.
Philly Sports Muse had an opportunity to go on stage with three others, two little boys and one man. Our task was to draw a picture on poster board and Dorenbos would guess who drew what. While we were in the process of creating, Dorenbos engaged with the audience and joked that women always draw a picture of a house with a sun and flowers. As I already had the house and sun committed to paper I decided against including the flower so as not to be entirely predictable. Hmpf. Dorenbos did wisely guess that I was not the artist who produced the image of a Tonka trunk–I’m still trying to figure out how he guessed that one.
While he now delights thousands with his act, Dorenbos’ start in magic was to provide for his own escape. It afforded an opportunity to mentally disappear from the tragedy that occurred when he was 12-years old, when Dorenbos’ father murdered his mother and his life was turned upside down. Dorenbos grew to love magic so much that he perfected his craft and carried the hobby into adulthood, now an in-demand entertainer in Las Vegas and around the country when he’s not on the field for the Eagles.
Dorenbos’ spirit and resolve presented themselves in a trick where Dorenbos shredded a copy of the Daily News (which is never critical of the Eagles, of course), to symbolize the quieting of negative voices. But then, lo and behold, the paper was whole again.
Magic.
Following the show, Dorenbos performed card tricks in the Eagles’ cafeteria and then held a meet and greet, where the audience received a signed copy of the Philadelphia Eagles 2012 yearbook.
Can’t think of a better way to spend a midweek evening than with a good dose of positivity and magic.
Now you see him...now you don't.
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You should have drawn the human-eating plant from “Little Shop of Horrors”. That would show him!
HA! That’s a fabulous idea, Gabriel. I will never be predictable again!