The Big Questions: Jason 'Bulldog' Mroz on 'Sons of Anarchy,' motorcycle clubs and self image

There was a time when the image Jason “Bulldog” Mroz projected – a big, tough, tattoo-covered biker – started to separate from who he was. It started with the birth of his son, helped along by the fatigue of weekend brawling and having a lawyer on speed dial. In this edition of The Big Questions, Bulldog talks about the culture of motorcycle clubs, TV’s “Sons of Anarchy” and what happens when your exterior doesn’t reflect your interior. Below is an excerpt of our conversation, but you can listen to the entire podcast on iTunes, YouTube and SoundCloud. Q: Please describe yourself for people. Mroz: I'm 6'6”, 325 lbs. and covered in tattoos. I've got a foot-long goatee, and two big holes in my ears. I'm the most down to earth friendly person you could ever possibly meet. I'm in sales. I sell motorcycles. So I found a niche. My outward appearance works for me. Q: What do people think they know about you, just by looking at you? How are they wrong? Mroz: They assume that I'm that rough and tough guy. Yes I can be, but I am pretty much the opposite of that. I've got a heart the size of the rest of me and I'm out to help somebody else. You know, thoughtful, polite. Q: But there was a transition… Mroz: Yes, I guess that was probably in my early 20s. Did a lot of bar brawling and fighting for no good reason. There may have been more of that bad boy type person in me I guess, but I grew up. On May 15, 2001, I had a son. And that changed the way I looked at things. I realized I had more important things to do than keep kicking the ____ out of people for no good reason on Friday and Saturday nights and waking up hung over. He really is what's spun me around, responsibility-wise. And I'm very thankful for that. I'm in a much better place now, than I was then. Most of my weekends are with my kid. You know, he is 13 now. And we are doing a lot more things together. Q: Let’s talk about "Sons of Anarchy." How is the perception of what a motorcycle club is different from the experience of being in one? Mroz: Well, it's definitely great TV. About the only truth to that show is that they are riding motorcycles. The rest of that is all Hollywood. The camaraderie and the brotherhood are definitely there. I mean, that is what attracted me to the club that I am in. When it comes down to it, I'm cool without my motorcycle and a patch on my back. I didn't do it for any sort of status. I did it for the sense of brotherhood and knowing that I have other people there that are willing to go the same distance for me that I would for them. Because of that TV show it's become popular to be in a bike club. And they are popping up all over the place. The family and the brotherhood and the closeness of what you have. … you can go and join and have fun and ride motorcycles and drink beer and be rowdy with each other and not cause harm to society. But there’s a difference between a motorcycle club and a riding association. To hear about biker initiations, the role of women in motorcycle clubs and more, listen to The Big Questions on iTunes, YouTube and SoundCloud.