Men's Journal

Dhani Jones

The Cincinnati Bengals linebacker and star of Dhani Tackles the Globe takes us into his world.

Interviewed by Sean Cunningham

Photograph by Dhani Jones

Belt

I wear a tarantula belt all the time. I got it at a belt and bag store on Bleecker Street in New York City; two years ago, there was a shooting on Bleecker, and Brandon Short of the Giants hid in that store. If there was a spider crawling on your shoulder, regardless of how big and strong you are, I’m pretty sure you’d be — pardon my English — screaming like a bitch. I would be, too. But in Cambodia the kids carry tarantulas around in their pockets. It’s just part of their culture.

Drink

I met this master of vodka when I was in St. Petersburg, Russia, who made this 120-proof homemade vodka. We drank the whole bottle. Its smell is very pungent, but on your tongue it’s very smooth — then there’s an eventual kick that hits you in the neck. 

Outfit 

Black jeans. Black Chuck Taylors. Black T-shirt. I like a basic uniform for guys. Steve Jobs is my fashion icon, because he wears the same outfit every day. If you always wear the same thing, you make a statement. Then put a bow tie on and -really stand out.

Accessory

When you wear a bow tie, doors open for you. Your posture is a little more erect; your shoulders are a little further back; your style is a little more dynamic. It’s about the reestablishment of the gentleman.

Photographer 

I love looking at Marc Baptiste’s nudes. Nudes aren’t pornographic; they’re the ultimate expression of people. A nude can be so vulnerable, but Helmut Newton’s six-foot-tall nude women look so powerful, like Valkyries. It’s all in the way you present it. 

Wheels 

The Aston Martin 1964 DB5 that James Bond drove in Goldfinger. But seeing as I will be the first black James Bond, and I’ve moved to Morgans, I’m looking forward to receiving my Aero SuperSports and using it one day for a film.

Athletic hero 

Paul Robeson was an athlete, Rutgers valedictorian, lawyer, writer, actor in movies and plays, great voice — a black male doing it all, back when some people thought he shouldn’t. One reason I do all the things I do is to break stereotypes that people can only do certain things.

Sport 

America’s Cup racing. (1) It incorporates traveling. (2) It incorporates my love of the water. (3) I can keep doing it when I’m 50. When I get old, I’d love to be a deckhand on someone’s boat for two or three years. I’ll handle the sails, make the beds, scrub the floors, anything. I’m a collaborator; I’m not a guy who thinks I can do everything myself. As a grinder, you’re basically the engine. 

Camera

I love photography, and the Nikon EM I started out with is probably my favorite. That was the one I used to take my baby pictures.

Wings

I’d love to own a PC-12. It’s a versatile plane that can go anywhere — high altitude, short runways — and it’s a turbo prop, so it uses less fuel. I’m working on my pilot’s license. I just love the adventure of flying. In the off-season I spend more time on an airplane than in my house.

Book 

We don’t devote enough attention to the mind. It’s the most important thing in life, the center of all actions. My dad gave me Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl when I was in 10th grade, and it affected my understanding of life, my attempts to reach self-actualization. The intellectual connection my father and I have allows for a certain creative interaction, whether it’s in person or over the phone late at night.

Song 

Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” is my ultimate karaoke song. It is a wonderful world. People forget we only have a certain amount of time, and it can all end at any moment. Armstrong and Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” are the ultimate one-two punch.

Movie

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption. There’s one line that will stay with me forever: “Some birds aren’t meant to be caged; their feathers are just too bright.” I don’t want to be put in some box. I want to spread my wings, so I can look back on life and say, “That was a good run.”

Transportation

I always ride my fixed-gear Giant Bowery ’72 to practice. It’s all about being outside in the elements and clearing your head. All of my teammates used to make fun of me. One guy challenged me that I wouldn’t do it in cold weather. I proved him wrong.

Comfort food 

Popeyes chicken, white, spicy, with red beans and rice and a lemonade. Aw, man — nothing beats that. I’m quite healthy and I don’t eat a lot of fried food, but I have Popeyes when I want to reward myself. I should go get some right now.

Philosophy

Carpe diem. Live this moment without flinching, live this second without wincing, live this year in its presences, and just be.

Home

I have a simple house in San Diego, two bedrooms. The unique part is that none of the rooms are closed off — they have partial walls. I’m not into big houses because life is meant to be lived outside. Plus I have stone steps down to the beach — who could argue with that? I’m a man of style, so I put on my best Matuse wetsuit and I’m ready to surf.

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