James W. Ellis III was transformed from a skinny high school nerd to 180 lbs. of rippling muscle and a body of steel. He captured one of the most esteemed awards at Indiana State University, "Mr. ISU", bodybuilding champion and then moved on to capture the Mr. Wabash bodybuilding champion. Despite the vast transformation that James underwent as a young man, he never forgot the down home roots of his childhood.
James came from a small country town in Indiana, where many of his classmates' after school activities consisted of feeding cows and plowing cornfields. James was a school slacker, barely holding a 2.0 GPA and was often the source of much ridicule by his classmates. James was raised in a two-parent home with strong Christian beliefs, which instilled many of these same conservative values in him. James is the youngest of four siblings, with three older sisters. High school dances and "Drive your tractor to school" days taught James all about the country charm.
Upon graduation from high school, James made a decision that shocked all that knew him and enrolled in college. While many did not expect James to succeed in college, James took some motherly advice and used their doubt as fuel to succeed. It was while in college that James found his "addiction." Spending time in the weight room gave James the opportunity to release his frustrations and at the same time develop a discipline that would and continues to define him to this day. The development of such discipline is typified in one of James's favorite quotes, "Success is my only option; failure is not" from Eminem's Lose Yourself.
James graduated on the deans list with a 3.5 GPA from Indiana State with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Physical Education. However, upon graduation, James decided that the education field was not one that he wished to pursue. Instead he decided to kiss the country life goodbye and moved to San Diego, California in pursuit of a dream. Since moving to California, James has had various modeling and acting gigs. James has appeared as a spokesperson for Ford Automobiles of Puente Hills in Los Angeles and was the star body builder in a David Rich Fitness DVD. James was also on the cover and centerfold layout in the September 2007 issue of Exercise For Men Only Magazine and was featured in three different sections of the Men's Exercise December 2007 issue. He was also the on camera host for a VIP Mini-Cooper Event at Universal Studios.
The opportunities that have crossed James's path have allowed him to associate with a great many people in the modeling/acting business and all have been equally impressed by his character, drive, and discipline.
While James has been able to and will continue to succeed in many of the big cities across America, he will never forget his roots. As the popular saying goes, you can take the boy out of the country, but you cannot take the country out of the boy, as James continues to enjoy trips back to the country to enjoy mom's apple pie.
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