BEAT AND OVERCOME ANYTHING! | NFL, AGT, & More | John Dorenbos
Dropping Bombs
Brad Lea
4.8 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 6 May 2025
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
From NFL stardom to surviving unimaginable tragedy, John Dorenbos's story is one of resilience, redemption, and redefining purpose. In this powerful episode of Dropping Bombs, Brad Lea sits down with the former Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowler, world-class magician, America’s Got Talent finalist, and keynote speaker to unpack his jaw-dropping life journey. After a life-threatening heart condition ended his football career and a childhood trauma no one should endure, John turned pain into power and found his calling as a speaker and entertainer.
You’ll hear how he forged his NFL path using a highlight reel of three players, why magic became his safe haven, and how he ultimately forgave the unforgivable—his father, who murdered his mother. John opens up about healing, therapy, forgiveness, and using storytelling and magic to bring hope to others.
This episode will leave you speechless, inspired, and more grateful for the life you live.
Connect with John
Book John to speak at your next event: https://www.johndorenbos.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johndorenbos
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I signed a deal for millions and millions and millions, highest paid guy in the history of my position, I think, at the time. |
| 0:04.0 | Playing with Drew Brees, come home, baby, this is great. John, thoracic surgeon, we don't know how to tell you this, but you're never playing football ever again. |
| 0:10.0 | You're going to be rushed into an emergency open heart surgery. angry. I'm invincible. This can't happen to me. |
| 0:21.2 | And in that moment, I sat down and I closed my eyes. |
| 0:23.3 | And I said, the story I tell myself right now is going to dictate whether I'm happy or whether I'm bitter. |
| 0:30.3 | What it is, Brad Lee, back again with another episode of dropping bombs today, folks, I got a legend in the building, |
| 0:37.9 | a two-time NFL pro bowler, world-class magician, finalist on America's Got Talent, |
| 0:43.8 | and one of the most powerful storytellers you'll ever hear. |
| 0:46.7 | But more than all that, he's a guy who's turned pain into purpose, |
| 0:51.4 | adversity into advantage and entertainment into entrepreneurship. This man's not just |
| 0:57.0 | snapping footballs. He's snapping necks with the truth, dropping bombs with his story and |
| 1:03.0 | showing the world how to build a brand that lasts. John Dorn boss is here and we're about to light it up. |
| 1:08.1 | Man, this is sick. Thank you for having me, man. I love it. Dude, thanks for coming in. |
| 1:11.6 | What are you doing in Vegas right now? |
| 1:13.2 | So I do keynote speaking, right? |
| 1:15.5 | So a company brought me in. |
| 1:16.7 | I get to tell my life story and the magic alarm along the way. |
| 1:19.4 | So I was here doing a gig. |
| 1:20.8 | And a mutual friend hooked us up. |
| 1:22.2 | So like I said, man, I'm fired up to be here dude i'm fired up that you're here man this is crazy you got a story you got a story |
| 1:29.0 | no wonder they have you doing keynotes yeah man you got them all you do them all over all year long |
| 1:34.6 | yeah yeah so it was really cool look if if you're in the speaking business right there's there's some |
... |
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