Ravens' RB J.K. Dobbins expands life experiences with trips to Mexico
BALTIMORE- Summer vacation comes to a close for the Baltimore Ravens. The veterans report to training camp in Owings Mills on July 25.
Since they last played a football game, some of the Ravens toured the world.
Marlon Humphrey, Roquan Smith, Ronnie Stanley and Tyus Bowser visited Japan, Vietnam and Thailand together.
Running back J.K. Dobbins traveled to Mexico, multiple times, on a quest to expand his life experience and learn another language.
Guadalajara, Mexico is not a typical tourist destination. But that's why Dobbins traveled there.
"I looked at the map and said I want to go somewhere deep in there, not a beach, not a tourist town, especially to work on my Spanish," Dobbins said. "It was either there or Mexico City. I felt like there would be more Americans maybe in Mexico City. There was not going to be any Americans in Guadalajara."
Dobbins made two visits to the city in Southwestern Mexico, and both trips were immersions.
He dived into the culture, not just eating the local fare, but serving it to locals with the workers.
In addition to food, Dobbins took in futbol, or soccer, and adopted the Atlas futbol club as his own.
Why that team?
Dobbins learned from the locals that "Atlas" is an underdog.
"Their story, it fits me, it fits me, it fits me well," Dobbins said. "They're all about being loyal to their people. They're all about fighting through adversity. You know, they're always about giving back."
When the city food stand was destroyed by a fire last year, the Atlas club and its fans stepped in to help fund a rebuild. Then, the team won its first championship in 70 years.
"It's a lot like my story," Dobbins said. "When you get hurt, you never give up. You don't give up. When adversity comes, you don't give up."
Dobbins' dedication includes his commitment to learning Spanish by speaking it exclusively with the locals.
He experienced some Spanish growing up in La Grange, Texas and his trips to Mexico brought next-level learning.
"I took it upon myself to figure out a way to learn it on my own and it's been very fun to learn," Dobbins said. "I feel like it helps me with football, too. Whenever I got to learn a play, I'm like, 'Alright, how hard can that be when I learn a new language?' That's way harder to learn a new language than to learn a play."
Dobbins has expanded his life playbook with his travel.
He felt it was important for him to interact, not as an entitled American visitor, but one who seeks to fit in with the people he meets.
"I speak Spanish to them and you see them light up and I like that type of stuff," Dobbins said. "Because I'm the type of person, I want to touch everyone in a positive way and that's just another way for me to touch people."
