Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Erick Studenicka | In this file photo from 2008, University of Nevada, Reno, basketball player Matt...... read more read more
By Staff Sgt. Zandra Duran
Joint Force Headquarters
SPARKS – Forget about the fact he stands out in any crowd at 6 feet, 8 inches tall.
Renowned as a Soldier, pastor, athlete, and herpetoculture expert, Nevada Army Guard Staff Sgt. Matthew LaGrone is one of the most recognizable men in the Silver State.
LaGrone, 34, is a modern-day, multifaceted, military Renaissance man. He is a successful recruiter, a father of three children, and a recognized snake breeder. He’s also one of the most famous athletes in University of Nevada, Reno, history – one of just a handful of Wolf Pack athletes to experience success on both the football gridiron and basketball court. While on the UNR basketball team from 2006-2008, he shot an astonishing 65 percent from the field.
LaGrone was born in San Diego, California, in 1988. His father Carl was a warehouse worker, a high school football coach, and a pastor. His mother Lisa was a phlebotomist.
Carl and Lisa LaGrone raised five sports-loving children. Matt recalls a loving yet strict household in the inner-city neighborhood of San Diego. Matt said his parents were determined to keep the kids safe and off the streets by keeping them busy and involved in sports.
Matt recounted one instance when he was playing in a youth football game at age 15 and he got into an altercation with another player that included gang-related, vulgar language. Matt’s father rumbled onto the field right away and pulled Matt away from the donnybrook.
Matt said his older brothers played a huge role in his life.
“My older brothers were my role models growing up in every aspect of life and taught me how to be the man I am today,” LaGrone said.
The family later moved to Nevada and LaGrone attended McQueen High School in Reno. He starred for the Lancers in both football and basketball and when it came time to decide upon a college, LaGrone stayed in the Little Biggest City.
“My older brother, Carl, was a University of Nevada, Reno, football player and I followed in his footsteps,” LaGrone said.
LaGrone was also on two conference-championship UNR basketball teams in the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons.
Following the 2008 basketball season, LaGrone transferred to Oregon State to play football with his younger brother, Josh. He ultimately graduated from Oregon State with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
After wrapping up his studies in Corvallis, LaGrone returned to northern Nevada to begin his work career, which included stints as a correctional officer and in education at Rite of Passage and Hug High.
After his return to Reno, LaGrone met his future wife Kendra at a local Bully’s Sports Bar and Grill.
For Matt, it was love at first sight. But Kendra needed some convincing.
LaGrone said the first time he asked Kendra out on a date, she steadfastly said “No.”
Matt’s persistence paid off, though. Today, the couple has three children: Amira, 12; Hannah, 5; and Samuel, 2.
“I strive to be the best father I can be,” LaGrone said. “My wife and children are my everything.”
With the idea to use military educational benefits to finance his college degree, Lagrone joined the Army Guard in 2012 as a generator mechanic. Nowadays, he is a full-time Nevada Army Guard recruiter based in Sparks.
LaGrone said loves being a recruiter and relishes the opportunity to change someone’s life for the better.
LaGrone also loves his unusual hobby of snake breeding. He has cared for reptiles his entire life. His parents bought him his first pair of iguanas at age 8.
In fact, he was asked to vacate his dorm room while he was at UNR because he had two snakes in his room. Once he moved into his off-campus, one-bedroom apartment, his menagerie inside his cramped living space included four snakes, three lizards, and dozens of fish in two 80-gallon tanks.
LaGrone currently cares for 40 ball python snakes. His eventual goal is to have 80 breeder snakes.
In addition to his family and military activities, LaGrone is a pastor at New Revival Church in Sun Valley, Nevada. He has been an ordained minister since age 13.
LaGrone said his work at New Revival Church is his “lifelong calling.” He especially enjoys assisting the food pantry and working with adolescents in the Sun Valley community.
LaGrone admits his balancing act as a recruiter, father and clergyman can be a real challenge.
“My job as a recruiter can be overwhelming at times, so my ability to balance my home and work life is vital,” LaGrone said.
Regardless if he is interacting with a recruit, fellow Soldier, or civilian, LaGrone has an uncanny ability to motivate everyone he encounters.
“If you win the battle in your mind before anything, then you can accomplish anything you set your mind to,” LaGrone said.
| Date Taken: | 05.10.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 05.10.2022 16:19 |
| Story ID: | 420399 |
| Location: | RENO, NEVADA, US |
| Hometown: | RENO, NEVADA, US |
| Web Views: | 742 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Now a Soldier, a famous Nevada 2-sport athlete remains a star in multiple fields, by SSG Zandra Duran, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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