LaBron Collins, a Jersey City native, is quite the renaissance man. I stumbled upon his Instagram page and found out that he was trying out for the next season of American Ninja Warrior. When he came to the office, Mike killed the set. I was extremely impressed with what LaBron is capable of. He’s in great shape, dresses well, and is an absolute sweetheart! Read on to see what makes LaBron so awesome!

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What’s your name?

LaBron Collins.

What do you do?

I’m a project assistant and abandoned house inspector for the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency. My triple life consists of me training myself for a show I’m preparing for, which is called American Ninja Warrior. Whenever I’m not training myself, I find the time to train other people. I have about 35 to 40 clients that I’m training, so I find a lot of time to train myself and other people, and also work for the agency. I’m also a fitness model.

How do you have time for all of this?

I’ve always grown up to be a hard worker. My mother never really babied me. She always let me know at a young age how to go out and be independent, and how to go get it. I really had no choice, I had to learn at a young age. After I graduated out of high school, because I was training to go to the NFL before actually training myself for American Ninja Warrior, I had to train myself to make money on my own. I served at Applebee’s for about four years of my life when I was 17 to 22. I was forced to take a break from school because I had to help out at home. My mother got a divorce, became a single mom, and I had to help with the bills, so I started doing three jobs and that’s when everything started working for me. I turned success into a power tool. I learned that sports wasn’t everything, started getting into the business world, obtained my life insurance license, and started studying for my Series 6 license so I could help people with their rough 401K plans and pension plans. That’s what opened the door for me to also work at the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency.

How long have you been at the agency?

I’ve been at the agency for about a year and a half now.

So you have a great job, you’re super fit, you’re stylish. You’re like a Renaissance Man! 

Yes, I try to be!

It’s rare these days to see all of that, right?

Right. Being born and raised in Jersey City, I was raised in the projects from when I was born until about 11 years old. I got to see the real Jersey City and how hard it is growing up, how hard it is beating the odds of every other African-American young male growing up without a father in his life. It’s hard.

And you beat the odds.

Exactly, and I’m still trying to continue, be successful, just keep working hard, and basically take it one day at a time. I like to call myself a motivator. While I do focus on myself, me helping other people get to their goals makes me feel so much better about myself and makes me hold myself to even higher standards to push myself even harder.

What about American Ninja Warrior? How did you get into that?

I saw it come on TV one day and, knowing that I had the athletic ability to do the obstacles on the show, I wondered, “When did this show come out? Why am I not on this show?” I’m known for going to the gym, doing pull-ups, doing very acrobatic moves with my body, so that’s when I started doing my research on the show. I looked it up, started training for the show three years ago, and then I actually applied to the show this year because I knew I had a couple of things I had to work on – grip strength, core strength, different variations of my muscles. I was big, I like to lift weights, so I had to stop lifting weights and focus on all calisthenics. I haven’t lifted weights in a long time.

When does the show start?

I should be hearing back from them soon. I put together my submission video, put my video together – I do all my videos, I edit all my videos myself – and uploaded it, sent it to them, and a couple of days later I told everyone and they all thought it was great because that’s what they know me for. That’s all I do. Some of the producers and contestants (old and new) followed me, they all encouraged me. It gave me a boost of confidence. It’s all about the submission video, if they like you, and if they think you can handle it.

Right. Are you excited?

I’m super excited and I can’t sleep! I can’t sleep at night because I’m so excited.

Counting down the days! It’ll happen, and Jersey City will support you. 

So you’re born and raised in Jersey City. How do you feel Jersey City has changed in the last couple of years? 

Jersey City has become like a baby New York. I love the way it’s changed because I plan to do good for my city, that’s why I work for the JCRA. I want to see my city diverse and grow, bring different types of people to our city and throw different types of events. Jersey City is an up-and-coming city and people are actually starting to recognize that now, so it’s a good thing and that’s what made me really see the difference in growing up in the 90s to growing up in the 2000s in Jersey City. You see more things available for young people to do, and not only young people but also the older crowd.

You see it as a positive change.

Definitely a positive change.

Where do you live now?

I live on Gautier Avenue between Duncan and Jewett.

Do you have a favorite Jersey City hangout spot?

Yes! I would have to say Pompeii right up the block from where I live. It’s a pizza spot and it’s the best.

You don’t look like you eat pizza!

Listen… I eat pizza, I eat burgers, but I also balance it with a bunch of other things!

I get it! Is there anything else you want people to know about you?

I’m just a hardworking young man from Jersey City who just needs a chance.

Are you single?

Yes, I’m single.

You’re single?! You’re attractive, fit, and you have a good job. Hello, ladies!! 

Follow LaBron Collins on Instagram.