 Justin Mark Eilers was raised in Nampa, Idaho, and developed an early love of football.He began wrestling in the sixth grade and through Nampa High School, but he missed a football scholarship out of high school due to his low SAT scores, and soon took up karate at a local school.He began competing in small full contact shows around Idaho, where he met up and coming fighter Jens Pulver, who was fighting with the same promotion.