Eagles Wake-Up Call: Jon Dorenbos Explains The Highlight Of His Performing Career

Jon Dorenbos. (Jeff Fusco)

Finishing in third place on America’s Got Talent was obviously not the goal for Jon Dorenbos. Naturally, the Eagles’ long snapper was disappointed he didn’t win. But that didn’t stop him from enjoying the great run he had on the NBC show. “I mean, yeah, I went there to win,” said Dorenbos on Thursday. “It didn’t happen but at the same time they said it was over 55 or 65 or 75 thousand acts that went out for that and [I] placed top three. To manage the NFL and that. Would I have liked to win? Yeah, winning makes everything easier. In this building, and everywhere else.”

“At the same time, looking back, I don’t think there’s one thing I would have done differently. Not one act. Not one thing I said. I’m super proud of the last performance I had. It was by far the most proud I’ve ever been of any performance I’ve had. There were some difficult moves there, I nailed it, and I was happy with the response.”

The last trick Dorenbos performed on the show was especially dear to Dorenbos. For more context, watch video of the performance below.

https://youtu.be/JWW5AANXRtc

Dorenbos explained why this performance was so important even though it didn’t result in him winning the competition.

“This is probably the highlight of my performing career,” he started.” So Simon [Cowell] wrote the name of his son [on the card], which he could have written any name, and so the act’s done. It goes to commercial. And I went to collect those cards because those are good souvenirs because they all signed them. I want to keep them. And this lady walked out of the crowd and she said ‘Can I have that card, please?’ And it was the one that said ‘Eric.’ And I was kind of like ‘Oh, I wanted to keep that for the souvenir.’ And she said ‘That’s my son.’ And then Simon came up and hugged his wife, and she said ‘We want to hang this in our house.’ And we want to look at it every day and we’re going to keep the magic alive in our house. And I kind of looked at her and Simon and Simon gave me a hug and said [the trick] was unbelievable and [he] loved every second of it.”

“So that whole routine was about that right there. And that’s what magic has meant to me in my life. So I gave them the card and that’s kind of cool that it’ll be in their house. And about in a week, Simon will probably shake his head and think of me every day of his life. And he’ll probably be hitting himself in the head like ‘Why! Why! Why!’ But it was cool, man. It was a really cool moment.”

A cool moment, indeed. Dorenbos said he really likes Cowell and hopes to be able to work with him together again in the future.

So does the 36-year-old Dorenbos, who could be nearing the end of his football days, plan to continue to have a career in magic?

“Yeah, I hope so,” he said. “I’ve been doing it my whole life and every offseason I tour around. Hopefully this just kind of broadens your net a little bit and people who haven’t heard you and haven’t seen you likes your style and hires you.”

“Look, I’m one of those guys who wakes up every day and whatever opportunity comes, we’ll deal with it when it comes, and I’ve never had to pick between [football and magic.] And when this show happened, everyone was going to tell me ‘You’re going to have to pick one or the other,’ and I said ‘No, we’re going to find a way to make it work.’ And sure enough, the network and the team, we found a way to make it work. And I’m going to keep finding a way to make it work until one of them says ‘We don’t want you anymore.’”

WHAT YOU MISSED

Check out our Open Thread from last night’s Thursday Night Football matchup.

“I just wanted him to be aware of just limiting the noise on the outside. Let’s just focus on football.
” Plenty of people have jumped on the Carson Wentz bandwagon, but Doug Pederson has been trying to keep his young quarterback focused.

The statuses of Zach Ertz and Leodis McKelvin are still up in the air for Monday night against the Bears.

Check out our picks for the Week 2 slate of games.

Taking a look at Monday night’s game against the Bears.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Mychal Kendricks is frustrated in his new role, but as Jeff McLane from the Inquirer writes, he’ll be ready to go in when he’s needed.

“I’ve just got to make do and take advantage of the reps I’m getting,” Kendricks said. “I think it’s natural for any football player who wants to play to be a little frustrated at times when reps are taken back.”

Kendricks is now simply a base defense linebacker. He was an every-down defender at the start of training camp, but he injured his hamstring on Aug. 7, missed the next two weeks, and when he returned Nigel Bradham had taken over his spot in the nickel package with Jordan Hicks.

“It’s the NFL. You’ve got to play and we have a lot of good [linebackers],” Kendricks said. “When I was down, guys were up and they were able to showcase what they can do in that package.”

But Hicks and Bradham combined don’t make as much as Kendricks, who signed a four-year, $29 million contract before last season. And neither has called himself the “new prototype” for linebackers, as Kendricks did after he signed the new deal.

He said he still felt that way, while also acknowledging that he isn’t asked to blitz as much in defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz‘s new 4-3 scheme.

“I’m not putting my ego aside. I’m just putting it in check,” Kendricks said. “Trust me, that [stuff] is very much there. And quote that. Write that [stuff].”

Look for Jalen Mills to start if Leodis McKelvin’s injury is serious enough to keep him out, from Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com.

During the opener, once McKelvin came out, Mills replaced him on the outside and Ron Brooks remained in the game as the slot corner in the nickel package. If McKelvin can’t play on Monday, it’s likely the team would do the same, safety Malcolm Jenkins said.

Now, McKelvin hasn’t yet been ruled out for Monday, despite Doug Pederson’s classifying the injury as “week to week.”

And on Thursday, McKelvin said he’s “very optimistic” about his chances to play against the Bears, but admitted it’ll likely come down to a game-time decision in Chicago. He missed practice Thursday, but did test the hamstring by running and said it felt OK. When asked if he’s ever had the injury before, McKelvin said he had; it’s a “fast guy” injury. McKelvin claims if healthy, he’d be able to play on Monday without practicing this week.

But if he is unable to go, he’s confident in Mills.

“Most definitely,” McKelvin said. “He knows it’s the next man up. He’s always been waiting for this moment. … He’s ready. He’s got that confidence in himself, so I have confidence in him myself.”

COMING UP

Jim Schwartz and Frank Reich will speak to reporters starting at 10:30.

Chris Jastrzembski contributed to this post.