Dhani Jones
{{Short description|American football player (born 1978)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Dhani Jones
| image = DhaniJonesByPhilKonstantin.jpg
| number = 55, 57
| position = Linebacker
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|2|22}}
| birth_place = San Diego, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lbs = 240
| high_school = Churchill {{avoid wrap|(Potomac, Maryland)}}
| college = Michigan
| draftyear = 2000
| draftround = 6
| draftpick = 177
| pastteams =
- New York Giants ({{NFL Year|2000}}–{{NFL Year|2003}})
- Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|2004}}–{{NFL Year|2006}})
- New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|2007}})*
- Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|2007}}–{{NFL Year|2010}})
| highlights =
- National champion (1997)
- Second-team All-Big Ten (1999)
| statlabel1 = Total tackles
| statvalue1 = 893
| statlabel2 = Sacks
| statvalue2 = 9.5
| statlabel3 = Forced fumbles
| statvalue3 = 6
| statlabel4 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue4 = 7
| statlabel5 = Interceptions
| statvalue5 = 5
| pfr = JoneDh20
}}
Dhani Makalani Jones (born February 22, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, earning All-Big Ten honors for three straight seasons. He was selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft and played for the team for four seasons. Jones also played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals. In addition to his football career, Jones hosted the Travel Channel series Dhani Tackles the Globe and the VH1 show Ton of Cash. Jones also was on the CNBC series Adventure Capitalists.
Early years
Jones was born in San Diego, California.{{Cite web |title=Dhani Jones Biography - ESPN (PH) |url=https://www.espn.ph/nfl/player/bio/_/id/2308/dhani-jones |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=ESPN |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=January 3, 2025 |title=Dhani Jones {{!}} Cincinnati Bengals {{!}} National Football League {{!}} Yahoo! Sports |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5206/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20210610072519/http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/players/5206/ |archive-date=2021-06-10 |access-date=2025-01-03 |website=sports.yahoo.com |language=en-US}} He attended middle school at Cabin John Middle School in Potomac, Maryland, where he played basketball. As a senior at Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Jones was an All-Met, All-Western Region, and an All-County pick, and also was ranked the fifth best linebacker prospect in the Atlantic Coast Region despite missing most of the regular season with a ruptured disc he injured working out for Penn State earlier in the summer. Jones was also a varsity wrestler in high school, as well as a member of his high school's track team.{{cite news |last1=Shapiro |first1=Leonard |title=Jones Is Too Fast To Keep Up With |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2000/01/01/jones-is-too-fast-to-keep-up-with/e4098fa1-febf-4b6d-8f3a-d3174d665670/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 1, 2000 |page=D4}}
College career
At the University of Michigan, Jones was a three time All-Big Ten honoree. As a sophomore, Jones started nine games at linebacker and finished second on the team with 90 tackles and six sacks, playing alongside Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson on Michigan's 1997 national champion squad. As a junior in 1998, Jones started at linebacker and finished with 72 tackles. Jones moved to strong side linebacker as a senior in 1999, and finished second on the team with 81 tackles. Jones is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and is an initiate of the Epsilon chapter at the University of Michigan.
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 1 1/8
| weight = 240
| dash = 4.68
| ten split = 1.65
| twenty split = 2.72
| bench = 29
| arm span = 32 1/4
| hand span = 10
| note = All values from NFL Combine{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=972&DraftYear=2000 |title=2000 NFL Draft Scout Dhani Jones College Football Profile |website=DraftScout.com |access-date=February 19, 2024}}
}}
=New York Giants=
Jones was selected by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft with the 177th overall pick.{{Cite web |title=2000 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2000/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} He played with the team until 2003.
=Philadelphia Eagles=
The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Jones from the Giants as a free agent in 2004. During Jones stint with the Eagles, he started in Super Bowl XXXIX. On April 30, 2007, the Eagles released Jones.{{cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/10033511 |title=Archived copy |website=NFL.com |access-date=March 21, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320045815/http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story/10033511 |archive-date=March 20, 2007 }}
=New Orleans Saints=
On July 6, 2007, Jones signed with the New Orleans Saints, where he was thought to be able to push for a starting job. Jones, however, was released on September 1, 2007, during final roster cutdowns.[http://wwl.com/pages/888909.php?contentType=4&contentId=866978 WWL - AM870 • FM105.3 | News • Talk • Sports | OnDemand@1350 - Dhani Jones among nine Saints cut] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807122529/http://www.wwl.com/pages/888909.php?contentType=4&contentId=866978 |date=August 7, 2011 }}
=Cincinnati Bengals=
On September 19, 2007, Jones signed a one-year contract with the Bengals. In the 2008 offseason, Jones signed a 3-year contract to return to the Bengals. Following the 2010 season, Jones' contract expired and he was not issued a new contract, so he became a free agent.
Jones retired in October 2011.[http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/10/11/dhani-jones-retires/ Dhani Jones retires]
NFL career statistics
| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
! colspan="2"| Legend |
| Bold
| Career high |
=Regular season=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="5"| Tackles !colspan="5"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |
| 2001 | NYG
| 16 || 0 || 29 || 22 || 7 || 0.0 || 0 || 1 || 14 || 0 || 14 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2002 | NYG
| 15 || 14 || 82 || 60 || 22 || 0.0 || 8 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 4 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2003 | NYG
| 16 || 16 || 120 || 93 || 27 || 3.0 || 10 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2004 | PHI
| 16 || 15 || 72 || 49 || 23 || 0.5 || 7 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2005 | PHI
| 16 || 16 || 70 || 56 || 14 || 0.0 || 8 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2006 | PHI
| 16 || 13 || 76 || 55 || 21 || 0.5 || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 6 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2007 | CIN
| 14 || 9 || 90 || 59 || 31 || 1.0 || 5 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2008 | CIN
| 16 || 16 || 116 || 75 || 41 || 0.0 || 6 || 1 || 13 || 0 || 13 || 8 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2009 | CIN
| 16 || 16 || 113 || 77 || 36 || 3.5 || 9 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 1 || 2 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2010 | CIN
| 16 || 16 || 125 || 86 || 39 || 1.0 || 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 157 | 131 | 893 | 632 | 261 | 9.5 | 60 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 14 | 44 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
=Postseason=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Year
!rowspan="2"| Team !colspan="2"| Games !colspan="5"| Tackles !colspan="5"| Interceptions !colspan="4"| Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |
| 2002 | NYG
| 1 || 0 || 5 || 4 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2004 | PHI
| 3 || 2 || 3 || 2 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2006 | PHI
| 2 || 2 || 11 || 8 || 3 || 0.0 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 2009 | CIN
| 1 || 1 || 7 || 6 || 1 || 0.0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | |||||||||||||||
| colspan="2"| | 7 | 5 | 26 | 20 | 6 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Post-playing career
=''Dhani Tackles the Globe''=
Jones was the star of Dhani Tackles the Globe, a series for the Travel Channel in which he learns how to play international sports that are unknown to most Americans. For example, in the first season he played rugby union for English club, Blackheath.{{cite news| url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/brendangallagher/2290554/Dhani-Jones-is-a-big-hit-at-Blackheath.html | work=The Daily Telegraph | first=Brendan | last=Gallagher | title=Dhani Jones is a big hit at Blackheath | date=January 31, 2008}} The show ran for two seasons.
=''Adventure Capitalists''=
Jones was a host/investor on the series Adventure Capitalists. This series first aired on August 22, 2016, on CNBC. Jones and other investors listen to pitches and try out products from new entrepreneurs. Jones and the other investors decided if they would like to invest in the entrepreneurs outdoor/adventure company.
Business ventures
In 2010, Jones opened the Bow Tie Cafe in the historic Mount Adams neighborhood of Cincinnati, which sells coffee, drinks, cafe sandwiches.{{Cite web |url=http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-21892-dhani-jones-%5Bcincinnati-bengals-linebacker_bowtie-cafeacute-owner%5D.html |title=Dhani Jones [Cincinnati Bengals linebacker/Bowtie Café owner] |access-date=June 23, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427184649/http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article%2D21892%2Ddhani%2Djones%2D%5Bcincinnati%2Dbengals%2Dlinebacker_bowtie%2Dcafeacute%2Downer%5D.html |archive-date=April 27, 2011 |url-status=dead }}
Jones is a partner of VMG Creative, a New York City creative agency, with clients such as Michael Kors, Capital One, Estee Lauder, P&G.{{Cite web |last=Stack |first=Kyle |date=2011-09-15 |title=Dhani Jones gets creative without football |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/thelife/news/story?id=6973190 |access-date=2019-11-25 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}
Jones founded a creative agency, Proclamation, based in Cincinnati, and is chairman of Qey Capital Partners, an investment fund, both based in Cincinnati.{{Cite web |url=http://www.proclamation.com/contact.php |title=Contact | PROCLAMATION |access-date=January 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224115223/http://www.proclamation.com/contact.php |archive-date=December 24, 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=http://qeycapital.com/who-we-are/|title=QEY CAPITAL {{!}} QEY Who We Are|access-date=2019-11-25}}{{cite journal | url=http://www.esquire.com/american-style/style-across-america-fashion-story-2014-7#slide-7 | journal=Esquire | first=Jim| last=Wright | title=22 Men Who Are Redefining Style All Across America: Dhani Jones (Cincinnati) | date=August 12, 2014 }}
Jones is the CEO of Petram Data, a Company that uses pre-trained AI Models to reduce marketing spend and improve customer retention{{Cite web|url=https://petramdata.com/|title=Petram Data - Machine Learning for Consumer Marketing|website=petramdata.com|access-date=2019-11-25|archive-date=August 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810222335/http://www.petramdata.com/|url-status=dead}}
Personal life
In addition to his prowess as a professional athlete, Jones has shown a variety of skills off the field. Jones founded a company that sells high-end bowties, and he also wrote movie reviews and commentary for Page 2 on ESPN.com.
Jones is also an avid cyclist, using his fixed-gear bicycle to commute to practices and games throughout the year.{{cite web |url=http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-stories/another-ride-dhani-jones |title=Another Ride with Dhani Jones {{!}} Bicycling Magazine |website=www.bicycling.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206094201/http://www.bicycling.com/news/featured-stories/another-ride-dhani-jones |archive-date=2010-12-06}} He also participated in the cycling leg of the Durham Doughman Challenge on Travel Channel's Man v. Food. The challenge was a team quadrathlon consisting of running, swimming, cycling and food eating.
On June 7, 2011, Jones' book, The Sportsman: Unexpected Lessons from an Around-the-World Sports Odyssey, was released. The book talks about his experiences in football, travel, and life in general.[http://dhanijones.tv/news/7/1308024000/espncom-page-2-dhani-jones-writes-book-about-travel-life-football "Dhani Jones writes book about travel, life, football"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105163028/http://dhanijones.tv/news/7/1308024000/espncom-page-2-dhani-jones-writes-book-about-travel-life-football |date=January 5, 2012 }}
Jones is committed to several Cincinnati, OH charities and nonprofits. Among other positions, he serves on the boards of Breakthrough Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Art Museum.[http://www.breakthroughcincinnati.org/ "Breakthrough Cincinnati"] Jones founded a philanthropic organization, BowTie Cause, in 2010.{{Cite web|url=https://bowtiecause.com/the-cause/|title=BowTie Cause|website=BowTie Cause|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-25|archive-date=November 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119200640/http://bowtiecause.com/the-cause/|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal | url=http://www.esquire.com/american-style/style-across-america-fashion-story-2014-7#slide-7 | journal=Esquire | first=Jim| last=Wright | title=22 Men Who Are Redefining Style All Across America: Dhani Jones (Cincinnati)| date=August 12, 2014 }}
Television
- Dhani Tackles the Globe (2009–2010) – Host – Travel Channel
- Timeless – Host – ESPN
- Ton of Cash (2011) – Host – VH1
Playbook360 (2011–2016) - Host - Spike
- GT Academy (2012–2014) – Host – Spike TV
- Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge (2016–2017 ) – Host – NBC
- Adventure Capitalists (2016–2017) – Host – CNBC
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/Dhani-Jones/b872dad3-66eb-4e29-b8bf-2c5c83731844 Cincinnati Bengals bio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503052223/http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/dhani-jones/b872dad3-66eb-4e29-b8bf-2c5c83731844 |date=May 3, 2017 }}
- [http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Dhani_Jones Dhani Tackles the Globe on the Travel Channel]
- {{IMDb name|1934041}}
- [http://www.bowtiecafe.com Bowtie Cafe]
- [http://www.vmg-creative.com VMG Creative]
- [https://archive.today/20130615170552/http://inleague.com/player/dhani-jones/ InLeague.com Bio]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150109033524/http://www.proclamation.com/ Proclamation]
- [http://www.qeycapital.com Qey Capital]
- [http://www.bowtiecause.com BowTie Cause]
{{1997 Michigan Wolverines football navbox}}
{{Giants2000DraftPicks}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Dhani}}
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Cincinnati Bengals players
Category:Michigan Wolverines football players
Category:New Orleans Saints players
Category:New York Giants players
Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football announcers
Category:Sportspeople from Potomac, Maryland
Category:Philadelphia Eagles players
Category:Players of American football from San Diego
Category:Players of American football from Montgomery County, Maryland