Justin Lopez

A native of New York, the son of an FDNY officer, Justin was a gifted athlete in all areas. He left team sports early for his two-wheeled passion of BMX. Justin spent his teen days and nights relentlessly practicing on his bicycle, becoming one of the best-known tricksters of his time. His talents lead him to magazine spreads and sponsors by bike companies. He was also under contract with the famous VANS sneaker company. Right before he turned eighteen he gave up the two-wheeling world and started lifting weights to pursue his dream of the gridiron. Even though he had a late start, Justin quickly became a force and starred on the 1991 Junior College championship team at Nassau CC. While attending college he set a record in the ADFPA American Drug-free National Collegiate Powerlifting Championship. He graduated from community college with a degree in biology and received a full-ride football scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh. After playing only eight games of organized football, he had a stint with the Arizona Cardinals in 1995. Later on, Justin turned down a starting position from the Baltimore Stallions who went on to win the Grey Cup in the CFL; a choice that weighed on him for some time. He has been physically tested at a bodyweight of 305 lbs, with a 4.71 40 yard dash, 36" vertical leap, 4.4 20 yard shuttle, and a 10.3 broad jump. He's bench pressed 500 lb., raw and has officially squatted over 700 lbs., raw in the ADFPA Collegiate Nationals (polygraph/urinalysis). Years later he dieted down to a lighter bodyweight of 266 lbs, as to play DE/OLB, and ran a 4.51 40 yard dash, 42" vertical, 4.20 shuttle run and benched 225 lbs. for 39reps, and was full-paged featured in ESPN Magazine, circa 2000. Regrettably, he was filming his first film during the combine and was already committed to the project, which kept him in the Caribbean for two months and thus, making him miss initial mini-camp and thereby, the disappearance of his contract. From 1999-2000 he entered into the fitness modeling arena, posing for covers and spreads as well as writing for some publications, and was selected as Mr. Fitness 2000. Soon after he left that part of the business to focus on acting. He went on to crash an audition on a whim and landed a supporting role in Life's A Beach, only to leave California the day he returned from filming in the Caribbean, to migrate back to his home dwellings on the East Coast. He eventually ventured back to Hollywood and faithfully started his chase in the competitive world of acting. With a cyborg-like discipline, he understood the sacrifices one must deal with to make it in such an almost-impenetrable business. He opted not to accept offers for Reality-based TV shows, as well as turning away many offers from professional wrestling. In early 2006 he entered into a casting studio posing as a UPS messenger and pleaded with the casting director to let him get on camera and improv, for a part they actually weren't even casting for at the time. He went on to land the role in Balls Of Fury. Off-screen Justin spends most of his time with his Great Dane, Da' Moose, strength training, researching, writing, hiking, fishing and mountain biking. Lifelong passions of his are the study of ancient civilizations, philosophy, the exploration of consciousness and the nature of reality. Books by Justin Lopez: As A Man Traineth 2009. The Starving Artist Diet 2012 Sheep 2019 The Fire of the Logos and the Way of Being 2020 Authors website: likeMindlikeBody.com Other passions involve working with mentally disabled children and the homeless.