Jesse Matlock ‘09, Kingsmen, is a warrior. This characterization of him was given by his coach, Ben MacEnroe, after a devastating loss to Redlands in 2007. In a story written in The Ventura Star by David Lassen on November 11, 2007, the copy reads, “CLU's lone standout performance on offense belonged to receiver Jesse Matlock, who had 11 catches for 152 yards, including an 11-yard TD pass from Benedict. He found no consolation in that effort.
Matlock had that performance despite being helped from the field on three separate occasions, an effort not lost on McEnroe.
"Jesse Matlock is a warrior," he said. "He is the embodiment of what a Kingsman is. He never gives up, and plays with every ounce of his being. I love to watch him play and respect the heck out of the way he plays."
True warriors have many things in common:
- They are disciplined
- They have mental focus
- They develop an attitude of persistence; in spite of difficulty, pain, discomfort, discouragement and fear; they don’t quit.
- They train aggressively to attain the skills they need.
Occasionally, warriors are leaders and go beyond what is expected; they not only look for opportunities, they create them. For such individuals, like Jesse Matlock, being a warrior goes much deeper than what he has accomplished, it is a lifestyle, it’s who he is. He is wrapped in character, integrity and honor, he has respect for others and for life. He is not a pretender, but the real deal.
As a Kingsmen football player, he was a wide receiver and captain from his sophomore year through his senior year and recently made a member of the 2000-2009 All Decade Team. He was voted Offensive Player of the Year in ’07 and Most Inspirational Player in ’08, and earned both season and career records in various offensive categories, such as Receptions, Receiving Yards, All Purpose Yards, etc., that still stand. In terms of our conference, he was an All SCIAC selection three times and twice an SCIAC Student Athlete of the Year nominee.
Jesse as a Kingsmen was a vital part of the more recent teams under Coach MacEnroe that have brought about the present winning landscape of CLU football.
Jesse, it seems, comes from a long line of “football warriors”. His father was a standout offensive lineman at Arizona State in the ‘70s, and his brother, Walter, preceded him at Cal Lutheran playing tight end under Coach Scott Squires, leaving the year before Jesse arrived.
Jesse was originally planning to go to Yale, but wanting to stay on the West Coast and having experienced the small college feel and friendliness at Cal Lutheran through attending his brother’s games for over three years with his father, the decision to attend Cal Lutheran was a natural one. Jesse’s father involved himself with the Cal Lutheran football program as well, as an Offensive Line coach for two years, and continues to put on leadership seminars every year for the team. And if all of this allegiance to CLU is not enough to call the Matlocks a “Cal Lu Family”, I might also mention that Jesse’s “new fiance’”, Nicole Colton, her sister, Jessica, and his brother Walter’s wife, Blair, are all also CLU alumni.
There are three memorable games from his playing career at Cal Lutheran that stick out in Jesse’s mind:
The FIRST was beating Oxydental in ’07 at their place when we were unranked (we started 0-2) and they were #12 in the nation ... that was a major turnaround point for the program, as it was coach Mac's first season and we were off to a rocky start. One of the best games of his life personally, and the most motivated he has ever been to push his teammates to a victory. A great team win!
The SECOND was losing to Oxy in the rain in 08' on a missed field goal with no time left (at home) to knock us out of the playoff run and conference championship contention. One of the most heart wrenching feelings Jesse says he can recall... as it meant he would end his college career without making the playoffs.
Jesse’s THIRD most memorable experience was bouncing back from the Oxy loss mentioned above and finishing strong as the team walked off the field after beating Redlands in his last football game ever. He said, “Winning on a go ahead TD late in the 4th ... ending my career in a hard fought game against a major rival… was the most satisfying and perfect way I could have ever stepped away from the game”.
When asked what kind of influence Cal Lutheran has had on his life to date, Jesse responded:
“Cal Lutheran shaped who I am today. The students, administration, football program, the faculty and academics ... it was exactly what I needed from a college experience. I loved the small feel and found that the humble, unassuming, hard-work atmosphere is where I thrived”.
Jesse concluded by saying, “I am a proud guy and hold CLU very close to my heart. While I was in school I worked myself to the bone to make sure that we were the best we could be”.
“In my profession today, I am a sales executive for CBS (one of the largest media companies in the world) in the outdoor advertising division. I work mainly one on one with business owners or high ranking marketing personnel on local, regional and national accounts. CLU prepared me for this type of work because of the small class sizes and the one on one interaction with my professors. It forced me to be involved, go to every class, and to learn how to work with people of different ages, backgrounds, preferences, face to face in a small setting. It was having professors that were accessible and would talk to you in person. I guess this is where I gained the confidence and “knack for selling" !! |
