At 6-foot-6 and 295 pounds, Langford is easy to spot on the field from his left defensive end position, and he has induced plenty of headaches for opposing offensive linemen and quarterbacks. But the third-round draft pick out of little Hampton University in 2008 hasn’t yet matched the fanfare with which he entered the world – during the first half of Super Bowl XX back in 1986 as an 8-pound, 3-ounce baby boy.
His numbers are solid (121 tackles, 91 solo, 7.5 sacks, nine pass breakups and three forced fumbles) for a 3-4 defensive end. His very first career sack was of future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre in his first game in 2008 against the New York Jets, yet his name has been glossed over in the media.
Langford was overshadowed by Pro Bowl defensive end Randy Starks, franchise nose tackle Paul Soliai and Pro Bowl outside linebacker Cameron Wake last year despite tying for third on the team in sacks with three. He also forced two fumbles, broke up four passes, registered 47 tackles (33 solo) and has the Pro Bowl firmly in his sights.
“I’m trying to go across the water and I want to go to Hawaii,” said Langford, who started all 16 games last year for the Dolphins on the left side of the line. “I want to just go in there and dominate. I want to be one of the guys that are in the conversation as one of the best 3-4 ends in the league. I’m capable of doing it and I think I already am. So it’s just a matter of me going out and playing hard and getting it done.”
Not satisfied with his performance last year, even though it was stellar, Langford worked hard during the offseason getting his weight down and adding more speed to his game. He approached his training with urgency since he had no idea when the 136-day lockout was going to end.
