Column: Ex-NFL All-Pro Jon Dorenbos is appreciating life after it was nearly cut short

He could be on the Philadelphia Eagles. He could be on the New Orleans Saints.

Thankfully for Jon Dorenbos, he’s on neither roster.

Dorenbos, 37, a Pro Bowl long snapper entering his 15th season, saw his career come to an abrupt end in September when John Amoss, a doctor for the Saints, discovered Dorenbos’ life-threatening heart condition after the final exhibition game. It was an aortic aneurysm that went undetected by the Eagles, who traded Dorenbos to New Orleans this summer after 12 seasons in Philadelphia.

Days later, Dorenbos underwent 10 hours of open-heart surgery to repair the genetic condition that could have led to him dying on the field.

“The surgeons told me that had I been hit in the chest really hard, or if I maybe ran a little harder than normal and maybe increased the heartbeat — my aorta was a water balloon that could hold no more water,” he said. “And if your aorta bursts and ruptures, you’re dead instantly. Before you hit the ground, there’s not anything anybody can do.”

Dorenbos, who lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Annalise, is now a thankful spectator even as both franchises have emerged as Super Bowl contenders. The Eagles practiced this week at Angel Stadium — within 15 miles of his home — in preparation for Sunday’s game against the Rams.

What began as shock and fear has evolved into a deep sense of gratitude. Dorenbos didn’t cry when the Eagles traded him, yet tears fell when he had his first shower after surgery, or felt the wind on his face while riding in a car, or felt the rain.

“It got to the point where everything I did, it was like the first time,” said Dorenbos, who played two seasons in Buffalo and a third in Tennessee before joining the Eagles.

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Long-snapper Jon Dorebos’ life was saved when the Eagles traded him to the Saints and upon getting his physical doctors found he had an arterial heart aneurysm. He needed 10-hours of surgery to save his life and his career is over, although he had a

Dorenbos was a fan favorite in Philadelphia, partly because of his steady play on the field, but mostly because of his outgoing personality and captivating sleight-of-hand magic. He finished third on “America’s Got Talent” as a magician, and now is a frequent guest on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

“Everybody was telling me that after heart surgery you go through this depression, and when you’re done playing you go through a depression,” he said. “I told Ellen and her producers that, ‘When you guys offered [these appearances] and when I was coming out of surgery, it gave me something to look forward to. It gave me hope and purpose.’

“The recovery is brutal. Physically, it is what it is; it hurts. But you can’t focus on anything. Your attention span is like nothing, and you just sit in a chair and stare at the wall. I remember I’d pick up a deck of cards and I’d put them down. My attention span wasn’t there because of the meds. You’re kind of in this fog, like you’re just there.”

Lately, Dorenbos has been coming out of the fog. He hasn’t watched much football this season, but he has paid some attention to the success of his former teams. He and Annalise went out to dinner this week with some of their friends from the Eagles, but Jon didn’t make it over to practice.

As for which NFC team he’s pulling for, Dorenbos doesn’t outright say. But this might be a hint: The name of the couple’s dog is Saint.

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Long-snapper Jon Dorenbos’ life was saved when the Eagles traded him to the Saints and upon getting his physical doctors found he had an arterial heart aneurysm. He needed 10-hours of surgery to save his life and his career is over, although he had

Changes at the top

There are lots of turnovers in the NFL this year, as in, reshuffling of the standings. Entering Week 14, six of eight divisions have a team leading or tied for the lead that finished in third or fourth place last season.

Philadelphia, Jacksonville and Minnesota have a chance to clinch playoff berths this weekend after missing the postseason last year.

If the Eagles were to secure the NFC East with a win Sunday, it would mark the 14th of the last 15 seasons in which at least one team won its division after finishing last the year before.

Rough and tumble

Legendary quarterback Roman Gabriel was named the NFL’s most valuable player in 1969 when he played for the Rams, and 1973 comeback player of the year with the Eagles. He also dabbled in acting.

In the new book “Game Of My Life Rams,’’ Gabriel tells author Jay Paris of his role in “The Undefeated” with John Wayne. Despite being one of the NFL’s biggest stars, Gabriel didn’t take the easy way out as an actor.

“I did my own stunts because you could make more money, double of what they were going to pay you,’’ he said. “So I hung out with the stunt guys and those guys were as tough as anyone you would meet.’’

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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