Part Two of our interview with Austen Lane, the newest addition to the UFC Heavyweight roster:


GrapplerMag: NFL defensive end, professional MMA fighter, radio morning show personality. Meghan and Austen In the Morning, how did those cards fall into place for you?


Austen Lane: “This is kind of the story of my life of just…unique circumstances, let’s call it. Before I did the morning show, I was on a sports show here in town, just talking about the Jaguars and everything. One day I was telling a story about me and Blaine Gabbert hanging out at the bar. Long story short, Blaine Gabbert cheers’s me, we do a shot. His shot glass breaks into my shot glass. I take the shot, I swallow it, I get glass caught in my throat. Had to go to the emergency room, right? 

So I tell that story on the radio. The higher-ups at 95.1 heard that and thought, ‘There’s something about this dude we need to look into a little more.’ So they were fans of me ever since that story. Well then one of the co-hosts of the morning show ended up going somewhere else to do a different venture, so there was an opening…that’s literally how I got the morning show gig, which is probably the most Jacksonville thing you’re ever going to hear.”


GM: You have to capitalize on those opportunities when they come.


“And did Blaine Gabbert ever apologize for putting me in the hospital like that? So it kind of makes up for it now that I have my own morning show as well.” 


GM: The universe balanced that out for you.


“It took some time, but the universe balanced that out.”




GM: Did you have any telecom or mass media experience beforehand, or kind of learning on the job?


“Yeah, I went to Murray State University in Kentucky, and originally I was a business major. And that lasted all of half a semester when I realized you hads to take math with that, because math is not my strong suit. So I switched to Journalism/ Mass Communications, and I fell in love with that ever since as well. I had that degree in the back pocket, never envisioned myself on a morning show talking about Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears everyday, but here we are.”


GM: When your NFL career is over, that lifestyle is very structured and regimented, meetings and treatment. When that’s over, your schedule clears up a bit. At least you get to pick the things you want to do. I don’t know how long that lasted for you. You seem like a pretty busy guy today. 


“It was liberating, but it was also scary. Since college, you have coaches telling you to be here at a certain time. You have to do things a certain way. And when you’re out of the league, it’s like, ‘Alright, now what? I can kind of do whatever I want.’ It’s really on you to build good habits, it’s on you to build a routine. 

I think we’re all creatures of habit, so once I developed a system, you find what works for you. It’s a lot of trial and error, it’s never perfect off the get-go, but once you get that routine, you stick with that routine. But you always try to find ways to amplify it and build it even better, and that’s been my journey so far with MMA and having a radio career. It’s a never ending journey and it’s never perfect, but I try to make it as perfect as possible.”




GM: What would a typical “Day In the Life” be for you on a busier-type day?


“I get up around 5:15. That’s probably the biggest bummer about the morning show is you have to get up early. But once again, you get used to it, creatures of habit. Head to the studio. We start recording at six. We go until about 10. Then we have meetings about the next day, in terms of content, visual, all of that. I’m done around 11. 

I’ll get my first workout in, whether it be sprint work, running, going to the gym and pumping iron, whatever the case may be. I get my first workout in, rest, chill, and then 6:00 comes around, and I’m getting my second workout in of the day. Go until about eight or so, 8:30, come home, hang out with the family, and that’s that. Of course I’m eating non-stop in between those moments as well and drinking a lot of water.”   


GM: “Protein shake, scrambled eggs and ham, oatmeal, bacon and orange juice” is what you wrote as your pregame meal when you were in the league. What about now?


“This was a wild thing. That was my routine breakfast back when I played for the Jaguars. When I got to the Bears my last couple of years, I completely changed that around. 

When I played in Jacksonville, my mom bought me a Vitamix for my birthday. I don’t buy a lot of extravagant things, I’m pretty low-key when it comes to that. But my mom bought me a Vitamix, like alright, that’s way too much for a blender, but I’m going to use it now because it was a gift. 

So I started using it, learning about smoothies in the morning, breakfast smoothies and all that stuff. Since I played for the Bears up until now, I’ve had the same breakfast smoothie every single day of my life except for five times when I was on vacation.” 


*Austen’s Breakfast Smoothie Ingredients*


-kale

-whey protein

-chia seeds

-flax seeds 

-MCT oil

-cinnamon 

-turmeric

-frozen berries 

-beets

-apples

-broccoli

-green tomato

-coconut oil 




GM: How did you hook up here at Elevate?  


“When we talk about the whole Jacksonville MMA scene from a couple years ago…I knew a lot of guys that trained here for whatever reason. I had my own gym going on, I didn’t really come in here a lot. But when you talk about some of the best fighters in Jacksonville coming here, how could I not? When you talk about a gym that’s spearheaded by Preston Parsons. He’s really the pioneer I feel like of Jacksonville MMA, because he put us all on the map. He got to the UFC. He paid his dues, he had battles. We were always on the same cards coming up, so I made a habit of watching him. I always respected the way that he fought and the work he put into it. So we were friends even before we started training together. 

Once he made it to the big show and everything, [it showed me] they’re doing something right over here. I gotta be a part of this, check this out. It’s been a great environment for me ever since. I try to get here two times a week, great sparring, great work, great grappling, obviously. And I’m happy to have [Preston] as part of my regimen, if you will. He’s a great guy outside the gym as well.” 




GM: It’s cool how the gym was able to cultivate that reputation in our area as the preeminent spot for pro MMA sparring in a relatively short period of time. 


“Truth be told, I get so much out of the sparring because there’s so much talent here. But it’s also just when we’re on the mats sharing ideas as well and that’s the beautiful thing about MMA. Sometimes I feel like in the NFL, when you’re playing it’s like, ‘Alright, I have my move I like to do, but I’m not going to show you that move, because I’m trying to make a spot. I’m not trying to show you so you can take my job.’

In MMA, we’re all trying to help each other. This city, it’s almost like a family. We all want to see each other make it. When Preston made it, I was on top of the table celebrating like everybody was. We always bounce ideas off of each other, we always share ideas, share philosophies about life, because that’s how you grow and you get better.”



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Tim Kline

Brandon Ibarra

Brandon attended the College of Journalism at the University of Florida. He has one stripe on his white belt.