• By
Travel Channel
Jones playing the bagpipes during one of his travels.

Dhani Jones is a Cincinnati Bengals linebacker, TV show host and modern Renaissance man. His travel show, “Dhani Tackles the Globe,” recently started up its second season, with the latest episode on the country of Senegal coming out tonight. Donning a loincloth, Jones masters the art of lutte, an old wrestling tradition in Senegal.

Jones has tackled rugby in England, hurling in Ireland and schwingen in Switzerland. In his downtime, he also writes poetry, plays the piano and oil paints.

Speakeasy talked with Jones, who in the past has hosted an ESPN series, about the connection between sports and culture and why he decided to sign up to be on the Travel Channel.

Jones said there are hardly any sports shows that point out how sports is connected to culture, people and communities. “Sports is like music, it links people,” he said.

Wall Street Journal: What were some of the biggest challenges you’ve had to face on the show?

Dhani Jones: They’re all challenging. Even just trekking in the Khumbu region of Nepal.[Or] cycling in Italy. Different sports surprise you [with] how challenging they are when you first get [to a country], but at the same time, I adapt and I learn and just move on from it.

What was difficult about cycling and walking?

It’s the stamina, the environment and different training systems. I was cycling 50 to 60 miles a day. I was trekking 8 to 9 hours a day. So altitude, distance and all that mixed up in one makes for a difficult day.

What does a sport say about a country’s culture and people?

Sports tells about the competitive nature [of a culture]…the essence of who they are. Take, for example, capoeira. Capoiera is a dance, but capoeira is [also fighting disguised as dance]. When the slaves [were brought to Brazil from Africa], the slavemasters wouldn’t know that they were preparing to protect themselves if anything were to occur…Sports is a way of linking the past to the present. And it tells a lot about how countries are formed.

What was your favorite country or sport so far?

Sailing in New Zealand was probably my favorite. It’s you and the wind, the ocean and air. I do have a boat, but I don’t get to go on it that much, because I’m always traveling. My second competing favorite was beach volleyball. Brazilian culture—the people, the food, the rhythm, the beats — when you step off the plane you can feel the energy surging through your feet… and when I went to Senegal, I was going back home. It’s the first time I’ve been back to Africa since I was a young kid. I just loved every second of it.

Do you have relatives in Senegal?

The reason I felt like I was coming home was because I just felt like–I’m black, my ancestors came from Africa, most likely West Africa, and probably even Senegal. So when I got there I felt like I was supposed to be there…Learning the dance, the rhythms, lutte, even the food, just being around the people, recognizing faces and saying, “You know that guy over there looks like me.” That in and of itself, is why I felt like I was going home. I felt connected.

I noticed in the Senegal episode you don’t like fish. Why?

I like fish, but I don’t like touching fish. They move too much, and you can’t control them…sometimes they bite you, and flip all over the place. Just watch the New Zealand episode; I caught a huge fish [but] wouldn’t touch it.

For the latest entertainment news