Matt Rambo’s been there, and he’s done that.

The Maryland Whipsnakes attackman from Glenside, Pa., won the Tewaaraton Award and a national championship at Maryland in his senior season before being picked No. 3 in the 2017 Major League Lacrosse Draft by his then-and-now coach, Jim Stagnitta. The two united in the PLL in its inaugural 2019 season on the Whipsnakes, who Stagnitta has coached and Rambo has played for since. 

Rambo picked up the first-ever PLL Jim Brown MVP Award en route to back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020. But Maryland hasn’t been back to that stage since.

That can change Sunday, when the Whipsnakes take on the defending champion Utah Archers for the title in Philadelphia at 3 p.m. ET.

There, Rambo will balance “that dichotomy between being serious and keeping it lighthearted,” especially among the offensive newcomers, teammate Colin Squires said. He’ll be the guy giving directions mid-game to rookies while cracking jokes when, and if, the moment calls. The guy who will help his team win another championship -- and have fun doing it.

“It’s helping Levi Anderson or Adam Poitras while teasing them about making sure they're on time or not being late for the bus and other times it’s serious, like helping them on offense on the field,” Squires said.

In 2024, Rambo recorded 18 points (12G, 6A) in nine games. In the semifinal against the New York Atlas, Rambo scored two goals on nine shots, including the score that sent the game to overtime, where the Whipsnakes eventually sealed it.

“He had a very average first part of the year and, as he always does, hit the reset button and really came on strong here in the second half of the year,” Stagnitta said. “Maybe not as much in points, but in leadership and in showing the way to those younger guys.

“He’s shown up this year in the moments we needed him most. He stepped up when the lights were the brightest.”

Rambo’s coach and teammates broke down how his fun-loving demeanor off the field belies that of his competitive on-field persona. Here’s Rambo, through the lens of the Whipsnakes:

Colin Heacock, Whipsnakes midfielder: He likes to refer to himself as “Chef Rambo.”

Jim Stagnitta, Whipsnakes head coach: Oh, yeah.

Colin Squires, Whipsnakes long-stick midfielder: I can’t validate his chef or cooking skills. I’ve never seen him cook, personally. He does like to call himself “Chef Rambo,” though.

Heacock: He always posts pictures of himself cooking, but in reality, he doesn’t know how to cook. At all.

Stagnitta: Word on the street, if you ask Heacock, apparently Matt takes pictures of meals that might’ve been delivered or not cooked by Matt and he writes them off as being his own. I have never experienced a Matt Rambo meal.

Heacock: He almost burned our college house down at Maryland a couple of times trying to cook. I think it was almost like every week. We lived together most of college.

Stagnitta: At the end of the day, you can’t help but love him.

Heacock: He can be sarcastic one day, pulling pranks the next. Even when he’s not trying to be funny, he knows how to make you laugh. I don’t know how to describe it.

Stagnitta: Sometimes I don’t think his sense of humor is deliberate; I just think it’s Matt. It’s not this great, advanced sense of humor, but that’s what’s so endearing about him. It’s goofy. He’ll say something that’ll just make you smile or that will take the edge off a situation. He’s really good at that. It’s a simple, genuine sense of humor.

Squires: He doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. He’s always teasing and keeping things lighthearted, which can be really good for a team especially as we get into the stretch here in the playoffs and things get more serious. He’s always one of those guys you can rely on for a good joke.

Heacock: Off the field, he’s just cracking jokes and a fun guy to be around.

Stagnitta: On the field, he’s a competitor. In every step of his career, he’s always been the best.

Heacock: Ultimately, if you know the game of lacrosse, you know Matt Rambo’s name.

Stagnitta: He’s been the bar which a lot of our young guys set their goals and aspirations on, and now there’s an added responsibility that you’re going to do the right thing at all times and help these young guys what is necessary to be a successful pro.

Squires: He’s a great ambassador for the game.

Stagnitta: Matt is like my son. 

Heacock: He’s like my little brother.

Stagnitta: I’ve been with Matt for so long and we have such a unique relationship. I get after him and I hug him. 

Squires: Certainly I can see how Stags and Matt have a father-son-like relationship.

Heacock: In college we shared a scooter and had every class together so I'd make sure he’d wake up on time. I drove him to class, made sure he was eating healthy, staying out of trouble. I’m his big bro. He won’t ever admit it, but he knows it.

Stagnitta: He makes you laugh. He makes you proud. He makes you mad. There’s times where you need to get on him. He always responds. 

Heacock: When it’s time to play the game, he gets serious and pushes his teammates. … We wouldn’t be where we are today without him, his competitiveness and his leadership. 

Stagnitta: Matt’s leadership is more in real time and in more of making these young guys around him better, like taking Levi under his wing and working with him. He’s in communication with the guys through texts. For him, it’s all about bringing people together. Certainly once the whistle blows there’s this competitiveness around him, but the rest is about the culture piece and interacting, communicating and having fun while making these younger guys comfortable.

Squires: He makes sure they’re building great chemistry with the team and making them feel welcome.

Heacock: Every team needs a Rambo. He pushes his teammates to be the best, and off the field, he knows how to keep everybody laughing and having a good time. He’s the glue to our team. Without him, we’re not where we are. 

Stagnitta: He makes me proud and he makes me crazy. He’s much more complicated than people give him credit for. Underneath that easygoing, fun exterior is a very competitive and proud person who truly wants to make a difference and have an impact on other people. But it’s not what you would think when you first meet and spend time with Matt Rambo.

Heacock: But I would appreciate him cooking me a meal. I think it’s well deserved.