Jon Dorenbos did not have a name that resonated with sports fans outside of the city he played in for more than a decade. He mattered as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, though. That tenure came to an end on Monday, on a day when long snappers were the target du jour for NFL teams in trades. He will be missed by Eagles fans, though, even if people outside of the city never heard his name before.
Dorenbos says goodbye
The news of the trade was announced at about 8:30 PM local time. Immediately, emotional sentiment began to pour in for a player who operates from the sport's most anonymous position.
Fans immediately descended upon Twitter to talk about one of their favorite players. Even reporters were getting somewhat choked up about the trade. That should come as no surprise, considering Dorenbos quietly became the most tenured player on the Eagles, with the team since 2006.
Trade Jon Dorenbos for a 7th round pick? A guy who has been here and so loyal to this city for over a decade?
— Eagles Fans⚡️ (@NoPhlyZone5) August 29, 2017
Absolutely delusional.
Shortly after the trade, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie put out a statement of his own. He had nothing but effusive praise for the team's former long snapper. He talked about his courageous attitude in the face of a life of adversity and his contagiously positive personality.
He also said that the long snapper could have a place with the organization in the future. Whether Dorenbos returns to the Eagles one day is up to him, but moving to New Orleans to play for the Saints next year is not.
Eagles without their long snapper
It's not like the Eagles will play with someone out of position after trading away Dorenbos.
They have confidence in Rick Lovato, so much so that it appeared Dorenbos may not have even made the roster after final preseason cuts. Trading away a player at an undervalued position for a seventh-round pick was a really obvious move for the team to make. It doesn't mean it was easy, though. Tight end Brent Celek has been on the team since 2007, so he'll now take the title of longest tenured player in the organization.
Dorenbos does have an incredible story. His father murdered his mother, leading to a stint in foster care before being adopted by a relative. He picked up magic to help him cope with his childhood, a talent that led him all the way to a third place finish on "American's Got Talent." He serves as a motivational speaker and has even won a local Emmy award. The Eagles will surely miss his presence on and off the field as the rest of the country wonders what the big deal is about trading a long snapper.
