Matt LaFleur, a 45-year-old Michigan native who has been the head coach of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League since 2019, strongly believes in inclusivity and often advocates for it in the media.
Born and raised in a family of white ethnicity in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, Matt Lafleur never got to know what it would be like to be a colored person in America.
After the homicide of the black American man George Floyd in 2020 due to police brutality, the NFL coach talked to the media via Zoom and said,
I feel in my heart I know, and I told this to the team, I don’t know what it’s like to be a black man living in America, and I don’t try to pretend to know, but what I do try to do is listen, show empathy.
Via ON SI
He further stated that he believes in ‘We’re all equals,’ and is fully committed to ending the social injustice and racism that has been prevalent in the country for several decades.
A few months later, Matt again addressed the racism issue while having a media interaction, saying it would be great if the community was like a sports team, where people from different backgrounds, religions, and races come together and work to achieve common goals.
Meanwhile, advocating for equality and blacks’ lives, he stated, “We’re all the same. Black, white, whatever. We’re all people, and we’re all dealing with things.”
Matt LaFleur’s parents, Denny and Kristi LaFleur had a strong athletic background!
It’s been over two decades since Matt LaFleur has been consistently involved in American Football.
He started as a player with the Omaha Beef in 2003 but soon pursued a career as a coach. Matt joined Saginaw Valley State as an Offensive assistant and has been a coach since then.
His interest in coaching apparently comes from his parents, Denny LaFleur and Kristi LaFleur.
After playing linebacker for Central Michigan, Matt’s dad, Denny, switched to coaching. According to his LinkedIn account, he is a former CMU FB Coach and Coach MPHS.
Further, Denny worked as a coach and physical education teacher in the Mount Pleasant Public School since June 1998.
Similarly, Kristi LaFleur was also a coach. While having an exclusive talk with the Detroit News, Mout Pleasant now head coach Jason McIntyre praised Matt’s mother’s coaching career and said,
Kristi was a competitive coach. A lot of their feistiness that they have in coaching comes from their mom. Kristi was an incredible cheerleading coach here and track coach, and a lot of those things you see in Mike and Matt, you see in her as well.
Via The Detriot News
Not only his parents but also Matt’s brother, Mike LaFleur, is an NFL coach.
In case you didn’t know
- Matt LaFleur was born in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, on November 3, 1979. He is currently 45 years old.
- He graduated from Mount Pleasant High School and enrolled at Western Michigan University in 1998. Two years later, he transferred to the Saginaw Valley State.
- Since starting his coaching career in 2003, Matt has coached for several teams, including Notre Dame, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Tennessee Titans.
