Eagles’ Dorenbos brings his magic to SAP
In between the normal shuffles and the bridge shuffles and the high energy and the humor, Philadelphia Eagles snapper and magician extraordinaire Jon Dorenbos insisted on the importance of belief and heart through tragedies that interspersed his life and pushed him to choose to make every day, every moment, happy.
“Magic is life, magic is us, magic is how we think about ourselves, how we talk to ourselves, because I believe that how we think and talk to ourselves ... that’s the same way we’re going to think and talk about this world, that’s the same energy we’re going to bring to this world and that’s the same value we’re going to bring to this world,” he said in a standing-room only auditorium at SAP North America Friday.
His appearance was part of SAP’s summer “Let’s Talk” series in which employees are invited to take a break from their routine to be entertained or informed with someone delivering a meaningful message. On Friday, Dorenbos’ visit was before 200 in the auditorium and viewed up to 20,000 SAP employees all across North America, watching it via stream.
In addition to his 15 years in the National Football League and a stellar career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Dorenbos performs about three magic shows a week in the off-season and is coming out soon with a book with the working title, “Real Magic.”
He explained how he started with magic.
“I was 12, 13-years-old and when I went home, my dad murdered my mom,” he said.
What followed was intense therapy, moving around, foster homes and one of the ways he was able to center himself was by playing cards.
Yet, even his life’s message came from that dark time.
Soon after his mother’s death, he and his sister were given two weeks to write what they want with their life in a journal by a therapist. His sister filled eight pages with some of the most beautiful writing Dorenbos has ever read. He himself wrote two words: “Die happy.”
“That’s the only thing I wrote,” he said. “I think a lot of people confuse happiness with an emotion. They wake up and they feel happy or they feel sad. Man, I believe that’s a decision and when we make up our mind to do something, there is no stopping us.”
Even with the gravity of his beginnings, he brought tremendous energy and laughter.
Describing his sports job as not even as cool as a water boy, Dorenbos said one time, a guy came up to him, pulled up his shorts and showed him a tattoo on his inner leg.
“It’s me!” he exclaimed. “I’m thinking the same thing you are, ‘This guy is awesome! YES! Are you kidding me right here!’”
Dorenbos shared the story of how he met 7-year-old Joey, who had neuroblastoma and a diagnosis of six months to live. He took the boy out on the field when he was a Buffalo Bill and he and his dad started playing, which caused some concerned looks, until the football learned the diagnosis of the little boy.
“That’s the first time in six months that my little man is just a little guy,” his dad told him.
The boy reinforced Dorenbos’ theory to see good.
One October, Dorenbos received a call and it was from Joey’s dad asking him to come to the hospital.
He gets there and the boy tells him it’s the Super Bowl.
The player tries to explain to him it’s not, it’s in February.
But, the boy insisted, “No, it’s today. Six months and one day, Jonny, the doctor didn’t think I’d make it but I’m here and I’m alive. It’s the Super Bowl.”
Now, when a cell phone goes off during his performances, Dorenbos thinks of his little friend.
“It’s all about how you perceive the distractions in your life and then, all of a sudden, they’re not distractions anymore, these are signs for us to keep going,” he said.
And, even with the Eagles fame and the glory of having been on “America’s Got Talent,” Dorenbos said that’s not what really counts.
“The trick doesn’t even matter,” he told the audience as he piled some cards into four stacks. “It’s who we are, how we connect to people. It’s rooting for one another, it’s believing in something bigger than us.
“When I was a little kid, I hated everything and, sure enough, the more I hated, guess what? The more I lost myself,” Dorenbos said as he revealed a blank set of cards in one of the stacks.
“I blamed everybody around me and the more I blamed people, the more I had excuses, the more I realized the more I blamed, the more I robbed myself piece by piece slowly and surely,” he said, yet again revealing another stack of blank cards.
“Forgiveness, I didn’t even know what forgiveness was,” he said. “I didn’t forgive anybody, I didn’t forgive anything – Surely, I lost myself piece by piece.”
And, yet another set of blank cards was unturned.
With only one set face down on the table, Dorenbos continued. “Let’s just hate a little less. Let’s just blame a little less and let’s just forgive a little bit more – and I believe that’s how we will forever hold ourselves, keep ourselves and make a difference,” he said, turning the stack to reveal a set of hearts.
“Magic is life, magic is us, magic is how we think about ourselves, how we talk to ourselves, because I believe that how we think and talk to ourselves ... that’s the same way we’re going to think and talk about this world, that’s the same energy we’re going to bring to this world and that’s the same value we’re going to bring to this world.” — Philadelphia Eagles snapper and magician Jon Dorenbos