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PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- With 80-man rosters the norm, there's always tons of stories to be told at an NFL training camp. Most of them tend to sound the same after a while.
Either a veteran player is trying to fit in with a new team, or he's protecting his hard-earned status with his old one. Young players are either highly publicized and under pressure to produce, or they're merely bodies on a roster, fighting for the long-shot chance to fulfill their hopes and dreams.
But once in a while, a Jon Dorenbos comes along, with a story so unique, so compelling that it stands out. That's when you remember that everyone's road to the NFL is not so typical. Not so easily categorized.
Dorenbos (pronounced DORN-bahs) is a rookie long-snapper for the Buffalo Bills. A collegiate free agent from the University of Texas-El Paso, he has so far made a solid impression at the Bills' St. John Fisher College camp site in suburban Rochester. Unlike most undrafted players, he has a legitimate chance to make the team.
But that's not why folks in Bills' camp can't stop talking about the friendly and engaging 23-year-old, who grew up in Garden Grove, Calif. Truth be told, it's Dorenbos' life beyond football that inspires all the attention.
Dorenbos is an accomplished professional magician, one who has earned up to $1,000 an hour performing in both Las Vegas and Hollywood. His sleight of hand skills are breathtaking, and have already earned him a place of respect and admiration in the Buffalo locker room. He has performed at team parties and functions in the past three months, dazzling his teammates with an array of mind-boggling tricks and illusions.
Either a veteran player is trying to fit in with a new team, or he's protecting his hard-earned status with his old one. Young players are either highly publicized and under pressure to produce, or they're merely bodies on a roster, fighting for the long-shot chance to fulfill their hopes and dreams.
But once in a while, a Jon Dorenbos comes along, with a story so unique, so compelling that it stands out. That's when you remember that everyone's road to the NFL is not so typical. Not so easily categorized.
Dorenbos (pronounced DORN-bahs) is a rookie long-snapper for the Buffalo Bills. A collegiate free agent from the University of Texas-El Paso, he has so far made a solid impression at the Bills' St. John Fisher College camp site in suburban Rochester. Unlike most undrafted players, he has a legitimate chance to make the team.
But that's not why folks in Bills' camp can't stop talking about the friendly and engaging 23-year-old, who grew up in Garden Grove, Calif. Truth be told, it's Dorenbos' life beyond football that inspires all the attention.
Dorenbos is an accomplished professional magician, one who has earned up to $1,000 an hour performing in both Las Vegas and Hollywood. His sleight of hand skills are breathtaking, and have already earned him a place of respect and admiration in the Buffalo locker room. He has performed at team parties and functions in the past three months, dazzling his teammates with an array of mind-boggling tricks and illusions.
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