"There were definitely sports that broke me down," Jones said. "So I couldn't look at myself as an elite athlete but as someone who was just trying hard."

From an educational value, Jones' learning experiences are part of what make the program so popular. Not only does it introduce viewers to new cultures, it takes a star American athlete out of his element and into situations he isn't always fully equipped to handle.

"Sometimes, the odds are really stacked against him more than other situations," said David E. Gerber, the show's executive producer. "But that doesn't stop him from doing everything he possibly could to succeed and I think that really endears him to his coaches and teammates.

"I think anyone who knows Dhani realizes that he'll do anything."

Jones has always been intrigued by learning, which was part of the allure in coming to Michigan. But even in choosing Ann Arbor, Jones wanted to experience college from a different perspective.

During a recruiting visit with former Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr, Jones' mother Nancy asked where Jones would be living. It was the first time Carr has been asked such a question, taking him aback for a moment before realizing why she had such a question.

Both Nancy and Jones' father, Samuel, had attended Michigan and wanted their son to take as much as possible from his time in the university's multi-cultural environment. Rather than living in West or South Quad, where most of players resided due to the dorm's close proximity to Schembechler Hall, Jones chose to live in the Residential College community, because of its focus on arts and culture.

Carr discovered Jones embraced music and poetry. Jones proved to be as serious about learning to play the saxophone and writing poetry during team meetings as he was about becoming an all-Big Ten performer on the field.

"I think Dhani sees the world through a different lens," Carr said last week. "He's always danced to his own drummer. But there's one thing about Dhani. He lives in the moment - he may not be there for long - but he's focused on what he's doing at that particular time and you know you're going to get his best."

Jones, whose first name in Hindi is translated "thinking man', uses his travel experiences to broaden his horizons and bridge cultural gaps in ways that otherwise may not be possible.

"People talk about music all the time, they talk about dance, but let's talk about sports," he said. "Sports is an amazing way to link people together. And for me, all of my teachers, my coaches and my fellow competitors are people that would eventually teach me in some way, shape or form to not only become a better player, but to become a better person."

His two seasons of taping his own show has created even more of a viewpoint in opportunities he considers to be a living classroom.

"Each place that you go and every person you talk to, you take a little bit of that and you apply it it to your own lifestyle," Jones said. "It could come from a simple conversation or from simple interaction or from a new person. You never know how it may affect you.

"For me, that's made this just a phenomenal experience."

Jeff Arnold covers sports for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by e-mail at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.