Perhaps one of the biggest staples of being a part of a nation of fans that love and cheer for the Philadelphia Eagles is this. Years will pass. Eventually, decades will too, but certain truths will always exist. More often than not, this franchise will be littered with a collection of characters who have elite character, and it doesn’t get any more colorful or respectable than Jon Dorenbos.
We’ve often read stories about former NFL stars and their difficulty in transitioning into a life that doesn’t include a football locker room. Dorenbos definitely won’t qualify for that discussion. He’s ‘living his best life’ as they say.
We all cheered for him during his run on America’s Got Talent. We’ve marveled over his courage and bravery while listening to stories of him placing his own life in danger to save someone else’s. We’ve cheered for him after it was announced that a movie would be made about his life.
How much do the Eagles and their fans love Jon Dorenbos? So much so that, after trading him on August 28th of 2017, the organization won the Vince Lombardi Trophy without him and gave him a Super Bowl ring anyway!. Philly loves their ‘Magic Man’. He loves them, and that mutual affection was reaffirmed during the NFL Draft.
Jon Dorenbos issues an emotional ‘thank you’ after representing the Eagles at the NFL Draft.
The second night of the 2022 NFL Draft will be one that Eagles fans remember forever. They landed the steal of the selection meeting by taking a man with first-round talent during the third round. One of the most beloved Eagles of the past 20 years, Jon Dorenbos, announced the pick.
"You are an Eagle and you are going to love every second of it." - @JonDorenbos #EaglesDraft | #FlyEaglesFly
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 30, 2022
📺: #NFLDraft on @nflnetwork, @ABC, & @espn | April 28-30 pic.twitter.com/a0H9wpLsoo
A couple of days later, he announced his appreciation for the opportunity via social media. Here’s a quote.
"The day will come that we will self-reflect on the decisions and the life that we have chosen for ourselves… I stood on the stage of the 2022 NFL Draft and represented the (Philadelphia Eagles), and in the moment, I was so proud. It hasn’t always been easy, but I made the decision that I would not quit on myself. I would not quit on the coaches, family, friends, and fans that have cheered me on and believed in me… It has been one of the biggest honors of my life to stand on that stage representing all of you… THANK YOU!"
What else needs to be said after that. No words that follow can encompass how much we all appreciate Jon for, well, appreciating us!
Players come and go. Roster turnover is a staple of the game we all love. Jon Dorenbos, a two-time Pro Bowler (2009, 2014), played the final games of his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints, but trust and believe he’s an Eagle for life.
His spot in the team’s Hall of Fame is all but assured. When that day comes, we’ll all have a smile on our faces. Why? That’s something else we learned from Jon. When have you ever seen him when he wasn’t wearing one of his own?