Dhani Jones of 'Dhani Tackles the Globe'
Fans of Dhani Jones, a linebacker for the
Cincinnati Bengals, probably have only seen him in a black and orange jersey
and white pants.
But off the gridiron, Jones, 31, is a fashionista -- in the most masculine way. Really, who is going to tease a 6-foot-1-inch, 235-pound linebacker?
Jones, whose first name is pronounced "duh-HAH-nee" and means "thinking man" in Hindi, moonlights as host of Travel Channel's Dhani Tackles the Globe, in which he visits new countries and learns, then competes in, their national sports. In the Monday, April 6, episode, he's dragon-boat racing in Singapore.
Besides being a professional athlete and host of a cool travel show, Jones is one dapper dude. He's been involved in fashion for a while, and about seven years ago he started wearing bow ties.
"One of my friends had lymphoma," he says. "Before he got sick, he told me, 'If you want to be important, you wear the bow tie.' It all came back to I want to make sure I wear the bow tie so he gets better, to give him a boost."
Eventually, Jones started selling bow ties on his Web site.
On the show, when Jones enters any competition, he wears a "You Are Here" T-shirt from Worn Free.
Jones advises aspiring athletes who want to try new endeavors to "open their minds, work hard and experience as much as possible, and be coachable," he says. "When you get into a situation when you don't know (a sport) at all, you have to be open and free to new styles of coaching and practice and fully immerse yourself in all that sport."
His opinions about style are just as definitive. When not training, Jones favors classic Chuck Taylor sneakers in black and Havaianas flip-flops. He also likes Nikes and Birkenstock "if I am feeling extra-crunchy," Jones says.
Those, however, are for casual days. Jones relishes dressing up, and he talks about "the re-establishment of the gentleman."
When he dresses to go out, he always accessorizes with a bow tie and wears a Ralph Lauren black suit and a Ralph Lauren black label shirt.
He also favors Ozwald Boateng suits and had just bought five in London. He wears Bruno Magli shoes and colorful socks.
"Sometimes I get some crazy checkered socks," he says.
"I always want to dress well, top to bottom, with James Bond flair," Jones says. "Of course I have a tuxedo. I want to get a dark blue mohair suit and be the black reincarnate of James Bond.
"I am not obsessed," he says, "but I tend to go into a James Bond mode -- traveling the world, playing different sports, trying to bring the message of 'I can do this; so can you!' "
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