By Derrick Smith

In order to become the best player you can be, you have to figure out what works best. And what works best for others may not work the same for you. Landon Loud says that in order to become the best you can be, you have to work through whatever comes your way. 

“There have been some failures along the way,” he said. “But working through them with hard work is how I have gotten to where I am today.”

Landon is a senior at Jones High School where he plays guard on the basketball team. He has played the sport for so long that he cannot remember the first time he picked up a basketball. 

Throughout his life, Loud has had his life impacted by a few different people, all of whom have helped shape him into the person and athlete that he is today.

“My cousin Elijah is one of my role models,” he said. “He is one of the hardest workers I know, and he has been like a big brother my whole life. Another person I look up to is NBA player Derrick Rose. I tore my ACL and meniscus and seeing his recovery motivated me to recover and play basketball at a high level again.”

As a student in the classroom, Landon has learned from numerous teachers on a variety of subjects. But out of all of them, he says that there is probably one that stands out as his favorite.
“Mrs. Lenochan is my favorite teacher,” he said. “She is my Service Learning teacher and she teaches us a lot about life and how the smallest things can make a difference. It is very clear that she hopes we all succeed.”
Though he has made some great memories while playing basketball, there is one moment that he enjoyed the most.

“My favorite memory of playing basketball would have to be when my whole family was able to come and watch me play,” he said. “It was really great to look up and see them all up in the stands.”

Along with playing basketball for the Longhorns, he is also a member of an AAU basketball team and his church’s youth group.