Langston leading by example

Published 7:20 am Thursday, June 25, 2020

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Lanett football has a lot of experience coming back from its state championship-winning team. Along with returning its entire starting offensive line, most of its defensive line and secondary, the team’s receiving corps returns its top three receivers in yards and touchdowns.

One of those receivers is Seidrion Langston.

Langston finished 2019 as one of the Panthers’ biggest quick hit threats in 2019, finishing with six touchdowns, 528 yards on 33 catches for an average of 16 yards a reception. He really came into his own toward the end of the season during the Panthers’ playoff run.

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“I just saw that I needed to step up,” Langston said. “We needed another contributor to the team, and I knew that I was the one that was able to do it. I just took that step and helped my teammates out.”

In the Panthers playoff win against Isabella, Langston was a force, finishing with four catches, 108 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 27 yards per catch.

On June 9, he received his first offer from Point University.

“It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to for a while,” Langston said. “I’ve been working for it, and I’ve just remained patient. I know bigger offers are going to come, so I’m just going to keep pushing.”

Now a senior, Langston is one of the core leaders for the Panthers. At workouts, he is helping to lead the other guys in conditioning and through drills.

During Wednesday’s workout, Langston was showing teammates the foot-work drills he’s been doing the last few months. During conditioning, Langston, along with a couple of the other senior leaders, was making sure players were following through with their conditioning drills and standing tall after the conditioning drill to make sure their bodies were circulating the blood right.

“He’s always a leader in the weight room, but now he’s starting to get onto the players more. [He] is starting to show more leadership by leading by example,” Lanett outside linebackers coach LaFranco Williams said. “Once he starts, everybody else is going to pick up.”

Langston has been leading by example ever since school let out in March due to COVID-19. He, along with Trey Abner and Larontavious “Tae-Tae” Hurston, put up videos on Twitter showing the work they were putting in by themselves or with each other.

“Grinding is part of the Lanett program, and there’s no one that I would rather do it with than my brothers,” Langston said. “We push each other to be better, and we’re forcing them [the other Lanett teammates] to be better and that motivates them to be better.”

Most of the drills that Langston showcased were ones that he learned on his own to improve his footwork.

“Seidrion is the type of player that is going to continue to work like he has something to prove,” Williams said. “I’m expecting big things. I’m expecting him to be a go-to person on offense and defense.”

Along with starting at receiver, Langston starts at outside linebacker and is the backup safety on defense.

The Panthers are set to start their 2020 season on Aug. 21 when they travel to Georgiana.

“I am getting emotional thinking about it for real because these four years flew by,” Langston said.

“This season is just really big for us.”