Former Tight End Jason Thomas Makes Appearance on MTV Show

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Former Lumberjack tight end Jason Thomas was looking for his niche after graduating from Northern Arizona University in 2007. He found it in the ring and in the air, literally.

Thomas trained with celebrated boxing trainer Pepe Correa for a year looking to jump start a professional boxing career. Correa trained champion boxers Lennox Lewis, Simon Brown and Sugar Ray Leonard and was one of the trainers on the third season of the boxing reality TV series, The Contender.

After some injuries ended his run in the Correa boxing camp, Thomas auditioned for the MTV show Bully Beatdown. He earned a spot on the show with his brother and a friend with a chance to win $10,000.

“I had the fighting and college football experience,” said Thomas. “I am a big guy. I am one of the biggest and most athletic guys the show has seen.”

Thomas was put in the ring with a mixed martial art fighter picked by show host Jason "Mayhem" Miller. The first round consisted of grappling with kick boxing in the second. He was presented as “Jason – The Pretty Boy Bully”, who had tormented his brother and his friend Josh for the longest time.

“It was an experience,” said Thomas, who was put in the ring with Jon “Man of Faith” Murphy. “I had no idea who I was fighting. I did not know until he walked out of the door. He walked in and I was like, ‘Let’s get it on’. I was confident. They did their editing. I was stronger than he was but he was more technical than I was. I did give him a couple submissions. That was my own fault putting myself in that position. It was fun.”

Thomas, who played football at NAU from 2005-07, earned $2,000 for his performance against Murphy on the reality television show that aired Sept. 3. While the fight was hard, the most difficult part was holding back what happened during the filming since it was set to air months after the taping.

“It was the hardest,” said Thomas. “Everybody was asking how I did. I was pleased with my performance but I could not get into any detail with anybody because I had to sign (confidentiality) contracts.”

When not appearing on national television, Thomas works for Blue Star Jets as a jet broker.

“We basically sell private jet time,” said Thomas. “I do a lot with professional athletes and movie stars, really whoever needs to fly privately. It has helped out a lot with my networking.”

Thomas married former NAU volleyball player Renee Lathrop 15 months ago. They celebrated their first wedding anniversary by skydiving in Arizona, experiencing flight in the air first hand like his clients at Blue Star Jets do in their planes.

Thomas’ current endeavor is his company called 8ight Kount, a T-shirt and clothing business geared towards fighters.

“After I got done with boxing I was trying to find my niche,” said Thomas. “What can I do that will be fun and keep me involved in the sport. What Tap Out has done for MMA I am working on the same thing for boxing. Boxing is at a low point right now where it is. It is not very entertaining and people are not watching the fights.”

Thomas hopes to change that starting with what the boxers are wearing. With a few fighters signed under his clothing brand, he hopes the business will take off like the Tap Out brand.

“It is real exciting,” said Thomas. “It is something I am really looking forward to and watching it grow in the next couple years. We will see what happens.”