grizfan1984
Well-known member
Great article on one of the guys we offered: Paul Trujillo-Langdon
RIALTO >> Carter High senior center Paul Trujillo-Langdon has a dilemma not uncommon among elite high school athletes.
Where does he want to go to college?
But, for Trujillo-Langdon, there’s also another question: how much is football going to impact his decision?
That’s because while many of Trujillo-Langdon’s ability dream of playing elite college football and possibly as a professional, he has other things in mind.
“I want to be a doctor,” he said. “Maybe go into cardiology, or orthopedics, I want to major in pre-med then go to medical school.”
He has a reason for both. Cardiology has interested him since his father, Donald Langdon died of cardiac arrest a few years ago.
Trujillo-Langdon carries a 3.85 unweighted GPA, and a 4.22 weighted GPA, and is currently taking AP biology and AP government among his classes. He’s also ranked No. 13 in his class at Carter.
“I’ve wanted to have a better life,” he said. “I’ve always been academically motivated.”
Trujillo-Langdon’s was more of a baseball player before he arrived at Carter, but went out for football as a freshman.
“As a freshman, I wanted to experience it, to try it out,” he said. “I liked it a lot.”
He kept with his first sport, baseball, as well as football. He became a varsity starter at offensive tackle as a sophomore, and has since moved to guard, and at 6-foot-2, 284 pounds, is one of the bigger centers around.
“He makes all the line calls,” Carter coach Alex Pierce said. “When he comes off the field, I ask him about what everyone is doing.”
Trujillo-Langdon has earned a reputation for being the smartest player on the football team, and his teammates will give him a hard time about it.
Advertisement
But he can fight back too.
“He’ll start using words, I don’t even know what they mean,” said teammate Kyon Clark.
Trujillo-Langdon admits it’s not always easy being the smartest player on the team, especially when his teammates have much less homework.
“Sometimes I get jealous,” he admits. “(But) I never question it. I’ve always had my eyes on what I want.”
He’s also earned praise for his play on the field.
“I’ve faced some good centers, and Paul’s as good as there is around,” said Clark, a lineman who faces Trujill-Langdon in practice and who has committed to University of Montana.
Said Pierce: “For a smart, nice kid, he’s really physical. He epitomizes what you want.”
Like Clark, Trujillo-Langdon has not only earned praise, but he has been offered a scholarship to play for Montana.
But Trujillo-Langdon isn’t sure if NCAA Division I football is that important to him.
Elite schools, such as Cornell, Carnegie Mellon and Pomona College have been talking to Trujillo-Langdon. Carnegie Mellon and Pomona would be Division III football. Cornell would be close in level to Montana, but there might not be a chance to play there.
“He’s much more of a student in the student-athlete,” Pierce said. “My advice to him is he sounds more academically inclined. ... He’s my first kid having to choose between playing Division I and going to an extremely high academic place.”
“I think the deciding factor will be whether my heart’s in the game,” Trujillo-Langdon said. “Academics have been my No. 1 priority my whole life.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
RIALTO >> Carter High senior center Paul Trujillo-Langdon has a dilemma not uncommon among elite high school athletes.
Where does he want to go to college?
But, for Trujillo-Langdon, there’s also another question: how much is football going to impact his decision?
That’s because while many of Trujillo-Langdon’s ability dream of playing elite college football and possibly as a professional, he has other things in mind.
“I want to be a doctor,” he said. “Maybe go into cardiology, or orthopedics, I want to major in pre-med then go to medical school.”
He has a reason for both. Cardiology has interested him since his father, Donald Langdon died of cardiac arrest a few years ago.
Trujillo-Langdon carries a 3.85 unweighted GPA, and a 4.22 weighted GPA, and is currently taking AP biology and AP government among his classes. He’s also ranked No. 13 in his class at Carter.
“I’ve wanted to have a better life,” he said. “I’ve always been academically motivated.”
Trujillo-Langdon’s was more of a baseball player before he arrived at Carter, but went out for football as a freshman.
“As a freshman, I wanted to experience it, to try it out,” he said. “I liked it a lot.”
He kept with his first sport, baseball, as well as football. He became a varsity starter at offensive tackle as a sophomore, and has since moved to guard, and at 6-foot-2, 284 pounds, is one of the bigger centers around.
“He makes all the line calls,” Carter coach Alex Pierce said. “When he comes off the field, I ask him about what everyone is doing.”
Trujillo-Langdon has earned a reputation for being the smartest player on the football team, and his teammates will give him a hard time about it.
Advertisement
But he can fight back too.
“He’ll start using words, I don’t even know what they mean,” said teammate Kyon Clark.
Trujillo-Langdon admits it’s not always easy being the smartest player on the team, especially when his teammates have much less homework.
“Sometimes I get jealous,” he admits. “(But) I never question it. I’ve always had my eyes on what I want.”
He’s also earned praise for his play on the field.
“I’ve faced some good centers, and Paul’s as good as there is around,” said Clark, a lineman who faces Trujill-Langdon in practice and who has committed to University of Montana.
Said Pierce: “For a smart, nice kid, he’s really physical. He epitomizes what you want.”
Like Clark, Trujillo-Langdon has not only earned praise, but he has been offered a scholarship to play for Montana.
But Trujillo-Langdon isn’t sure if NCAA Division I football is that important to him.
Elite schools, such as Cornell, Carnegie Mellon and Pomona College have been talking to Trujillo-Langdon. Carnegie Mellon and Pomona would be Division III football. Cornell would be close in level to Montana, but there might not be a chance to play there.
“He’s much more of a student in the student-athlete,” Pierce said. “My advice to him is he sounds more academically inclined. ... He’s my first kid having to choose between playing Division I and going to an extremely high academic place.”
“I think the deciding factor will be whether my heart’s in the game,” Trujillo-Langdon said. “Academics have been my No. 1 priority my whole life.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
