The weird and wonderful world of Will Langford – AFLplayers.com.au
He speaks a bit of French, reads philosophy and uses words like ‘microcosm’.
But Will Langford isn’t as ‘strange’ or ‘quirky’ as some of his teammates might have you believe.
“The whole different or weird stigma… I don’t know, I just like to be my own person,” Langford told Channel 7’s Saturday Night Footy team, in the latest instalment of the #Discovered series.
“It’s like studying or taking an interest in the world is a bit different, I suppose, in a footy club. It takes all sorts in a footy club – I’m one sort.
“I don’t shy away from the things I’m interested in and don’t feel the need to necessarily conform, I suppose.”
Perhaps the most unusual thing about Langford is his maturity – for a 22-year-old, he appears to have a very clear, strong sense of what he’s about. And he’s not fussed if that falls outside the spectrum of what’s expected of AFL players.
While his teammates were celebrating together in the aftermath of the 2014 Grand Final, Langford took a moment by himself, just to take it all in.
“The photos after the game of me sitting in the middle, by myself, having a ‘William moment’… I broke down in a way,” Langford said.
“I wanted to take a mental snapshot, [so that] when I think back to Grand Final day, at the end of the day, [I can picture] that feeling. I wanted to sit down and acknowledge how I was feeling – how relieved, happy and overjoyed, and everything that was going on inside me.”
It’s not something supporters are used to seeing after a Grand Final, but those who know Langford well wouldn’t have been surprised.
“My family – they think I’m a bit of a one-man wolf-pack,” Langford said with a laugh.
Langford’s teammates may think the same thing, but the 28-gamer says he enjoys the banter that comes his way as a result.
“It’s a really friendly environment. We all bounce off each other.”