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Jon Dorenbos' Adorable Daughter Was His Biggest Fan During His Audition
AGT: Fantasy League star Jon Dorenbos' daughter couldn't have been more excited for her magician dad during the premiere episode.
America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League has some familiar faces returning to the stage. One of them is magician and former NFL player, Jon Dorenbos. Now he's back as one of the best of the best to ever hit the AGT stage, only this time he's got his very own superfan, his 4-year-old daughter, Amaya. She can be seen in the crowd during his first audition, cheering her dad on with pure joy and excitement.
For those who don't remember, Jon was a finalist on Season 11 of America’s Got Talent while still going through NFL training camp. He ultimately finished in third place for that season but that was more than enough to leave a lasting impression and earn him a spot on Mel B's Dream Team.
Jon Dorenbos' AGT: Fantasy League audition
For his audition on the premiere episode, Dorenbos did a complicated card trick with wine glasses right in front of the judges that left them and the audience stunned. He opened a fresh deck of cards and separated them from their packaged order. Starting with Howie Mandel, he asked each judge to shuffle the deck and pass it down the table. As the judges thoroughly randomized the cards, he talked about surrounding himself with greatness and being the best father he can be to his biggest cheerleader, his daughter. Just like magic, somehow the cards that were shuffled ended up in sequence once they made their way into the glass, seemingly at Jon's command. He even got Simon Cowell to drop his jaw in awe.
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“What you reminded me of, Jon, is it’s not enough to just have talent, you got to have personality,” Simon said. “Compared to your first audition, this was you at your very best."
Heidi Klum, Mel B, and Howie Mandel all agreed that he did an incredible job.
Jon has had some time to work on his magic act. After playing in the NFL for 14 years as a long snapper, he retired in 2017, a year after his first appearance on America’s Got Talent. Since then, he's seemingly been perfecting his Act and bringing his message of positivity across the country.
What NFL team did Jon Dorenbos play for?
After attending college at the University of Texas at El Paso, Dorenbos was signed as a long snapper by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent following the 2003 NFL Draft. He was signed to the Tennessee Titans in 2005. He then went on to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2006 for a two-year contract.
However, in 2007, he signed a 5-year extension that kept him there through the 2012 season. In 2010, Dorenbos was named to the NFC’s Pro Bowl Team and re-signed with the Eagles in 2013, becoming one of the Eagles’ longest-tenured players. In 2016, he signed a three-year extension through 2019 but was placed on injured reserve that same year due to a wrist surgery. In 2017, he was traded to the New Orleans Saints, but weeks later, it was revealed Dorenbos was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, which required immediate heart surgery. He did receive a Super Bowl ring in 2018 since he was still on the team even though he wasn’t playing. That was the end of his football career, but the beginning of something, let's just say "magical."
How did Jon Dorenbos become a magician?
When Dorenbos was a child, his father killed his mother and was convicted of second-degree murder. Jon's life changed from that day onward, as he used magic as an escape to cope with grief and loss. Jon revealed during his audition reel that he got into magic before he started playing football.
“I was 12 years old, and I had lost both of my parents. At the time I went into temporary foster care for eight or nine months. I got into magic because when I shuffled cards and I heard the riffle, it’s the only time the world quieted,” he shared.
What happened to Jon Dorenbos on AGT?
After America’s Got Talent, Dorenbos wrote a bestselling book Life is Magic, appeared on Ellen 25 times, and has toured the world as a keynote speaker. Now, he tours with life coach Tony Robbins selling out arenas. He’s married to his wife, Annalise, and they have a daughter who will now have the memory of cheering for her magical dad while he performed on the AGT: Fantasy League stage.
