Which NFL team did Austen Lane play for? Mixed Martial Artist's football career explored

UFC fighter Austen Lane is a man of many talents, and he has appeared on two of the biggest stages in American sports. The former defensive end played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the National Football League from 2010 to 2012, and he also was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions.

Austen Lane found decent success on the Gridiron, even though he didn't spend up to half a decade in the sport. Below, we will explore his football career and touch upon what he does.

---

Austen Lane's College Football Career

Austen Lane hails from Iola, Wisconsin. He first tasted organized football as an Iola-Scandinavia (WI) High School football team member. In his senior year, Lane caught 31 passes for 717 yards and 13 TDs on offense and made 14.5 sacks on defense. He received All-conference and All-region honors for his efforts. He earned two letters as a Thunderbirds basketball team member and was named Second-team All-conference in 2004–05.

Thanks to his stellar play, he was offered a scholarship to play for Murray State University. He took that offer and joined Murray State in 2008. Lane started 40 of 43 fixtures at Murray State. He holds school records with 55 tackles for loss and 29 sacks. Lane had a decent college career with Murray State, and his last season with the school was arguably his finest.

He started 10 games at DE and led all defensive linemen with 48 stops, which included 28 solo stops. Lane was selected to play in the 2010 Senior Bowl for the North due to his performances in his senior season at Murray State. He scored a TD off a fumble recovery in the second quarter, and his side went on to win the game over the South 31–13.

He was projected to be drafted by numerous scouting platforms in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

---

Austen Lane's Professional Football Career

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Austen Lane with the 153rd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He subsequently signed a four-year, $1.974 million contract with a $184,190 signing bonus.

Lane played in nine fixtures as a rookie for the Jaguars and earned plaudits for his tenacity. Until 2012, he played in a total of 28 games for the franchise.

After his Jaguars release, Austen Lane was part of three more NFL franchises. The Kansas City Chiefs signed him on June 14, 2013, but he never played a snap for the team. He was signed by the Detroit Lions on November 5, 2013, but was cut a mere 22 days later, featuring in just two games.

Lane was signed by the Chicago Bears on February 17, 2014, but released in August before the new season began. He eventually announced his retirement from the NFL on August 3, 2015, to concentrate on his other passion, mixed martial arts.

---

What does Austen Lane do these days?

These days Lane competes as a professional mixed martial artist in the UFC. The former NFL defensive back has a professional record of 12 wins and three losses in fifteen fights. He had a flawless amateur record of five wins in as many contests in 2015-16.

Interestingly, the former Jaguars DE is on a six-fight winning streak since 2020. His next fight and proper UFC debut will be against Justin Tafa on June 24, 2023, at UFC on ABC: Emmett vs. Topuria. It's a match that is virtually guaranteed to feature fireworks.