CNATI: Cincinnati OH Sports Journalism

Cincinnati Bengals

A leader in more than years

By Scott Priestle, CNATI.com Posted November 19, 2009 4:34 PM ET

Keith Rivers was just another NFL prospect the first time he met Dhani Jones. A friend introduced him to the veteran linebacker. Their meeting was short but memorable.

"He was rude," Rivers said. "Standoffish. He was not a nice guy."

A few months later, Rivers and Jones sat side-by-side for hours every day, watching film in the bowels of Paul Brown Stadium, the rookie routinely picking the brain of the veteran. A year later, Rivers and Jones are the leading tacklers on the Bengals defense and good friends off the field.

Rivers has become so comfortable in Jones's company that he is eager to needle his older teammate.

"He tries to copy me in everything I do, and he calls it his own style," Rivers said with a wink. "I buy a jacket and a couple days later he buys the same jacket. He just wants to be me."

Their relationship evolved as Rivers earned Jones's trust on the field -- and recognized that Jones is as demanding of himself as he is of young players.

The 10-year veteran watches hours of film, is conscious of what he eats and how he works out, and asks questions until he understands the defense from concept to execution. As a result, Jones has gone from twice-released and unwanted to the leading tackler and emotional center of an emerging defense.

"If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right," he said. "I'm not going to cut any corners."

His experience and his approach to the game have made him an extension of the coaching staff, on a defense young enough to need extra coaching. Jones said he considers it "part of my job description" to echo defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer on the field. Zimmer appreciates the help.

"Our young guys can see what a pro acts like," he said.

Like Zimmer, Jones is not afraid to offer encouragement or criticism. He does not coddle.

"He's an intimidating guy," rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga said. "I had to gain my respect from him. It wasn't like I was just going to come right in and be one of the fellas. Our relationship is good enough now; it's strong. He's just a great guy to be around."

Cincy or surfing?

As ideal as the marriage seems now, Jones nearly walked away from the Bengals after one meeting in September 2007.

He had been released by the New Orleans Saints a couple weeks prior, after having been released by the Philadelphia Eagles four months before that. The Bengals suffered a rash of injuries at linebacker, so they brought Jones to town for a workout and negotiation, but he returned to his home in Southern California without agreeing to a contract.

"We had to convince him that playing football would be better than surfing," coach Marvin Lewis said.

Jones was stung by being cut twice within a four-month span, and he was unsure if he wanted to join a new organization -- with everything that entails -- two games into the season.

"Any time you come to a new place, there are all new idiosyncrasies, things you have to work out, and at a certain point you get frustrated and you don't want to deal with it," he said. "At the same time, I'm a competitor."

So he eventually signed with the Bengals and accepted a limited role, playing mostly special teams and serving as a backup linebacker. He was chosen the special-teams captain less than a month later, started at linebacker by midseason and finished as the team's second-leading tackler.

Jones signed a three-year contract with the Bengals following the 2007 season, moved from outside linebacker to the middle last season and led the team in tackles. He is leading the team again this season.

"I just had my eyes to the road, just had a `work' mentality, a blue-collar mentality," he said. "I still have a blue-collar mentality. I'm never going to be complacent. I'm never going to take a play off, take a game off or a practice. That's not my way. I've always believed in the old-school principle that the more you can do, the harder you work, the more it benefits you. That's the example I set."

Doesn't fit the mold

That was not always his reputation, though. Jones is well-read, with interests in fashion, poetry, classical music and travel, which makes him unique in the American sports world. The NFL, in particular, tends to value blind loyalty over inquisitiveness and individuality.

"I think everybody had certain perceptions of Dhani," Lewis said. "I certainly did."

Those perceptions changed in the summer of 2007, when the Bengals and Saints practiced together prior to an exhibition game. Lewis saw Jones's passion for football. There was no doubt he was committed to the sport.

When the Bengals needed a linebacker a few weeks later, Lewis said, "He was the first thought that came to mind."

These days, the team's roster is full of players on their second or third chance, players who are desperate to hold onto their careers and re-write their legacies. Lewis and Zimmer have trumpeted that fact, using it as motivation. Jones and safety Chris Crocker have been quick to remind their teammates to make the most of each day.

To that end, Jones has turned his inquisitiveness and individuality into an asset. He is not afraid to challenge the coaches.

"Sometimes he's arguing with them, like, `No, you're supposed to do it this way,' " Maualuga said. "I'm like, wow. Somebody has been around the game for, what, 10 years, and he's arguing with the guy who created the defense. And sometimes he wins."

To which Zimmer replied with a smile, "They aren't really arguments. He asks a lot of questions, which I like. I usually have the hammer in the arguments."

That would be playing time, the one incentive every NFL player values. Not that Zimmer plans to take Jones's away over an argument.

"He's a good player," Zimmer said. "I think sometimes because a guy is so smart, it takes away from how people see him (as an athlete), but he makes a lot of plays. And he's extremely dependable. You know where he's going to be."

The cold introduction to his young teammates has melted into a friendly competition on the field, in the weight room and in the meeting room. Jones is far ahead in the race for the most tackles.

"I'm the youngest old guy you've ever met," he said. "I'm one of the biggest competitors in here, and I will compete until the day I die."

Categories: Cincinnati Bengals, Featured Stories, Profiles

Tags: Dhani Jones, Keith Rivers, Marvin Lewis, Mike Zimmer, Rey Maualuga