by James Peters
Germantown Gazette
11-08-2006

Seneca Valley High senior Donald Langley strolled into his Monday press conference sporting three different college hats representing the lineman’s final three choices among the 42 universities that have offered him football scholarships.

The hats — Penn State, Texas A&M and Tennessee — were placed strategically in front of Langley and his family, and after some heartfelt words by Seneca Valley head football coach Fred Kim, the school’s principal Suzanne Maxey and athletics director Ray Sacramo, Langley playfully moved his hands around the colorful headgear before grabbing the orange one, signaling his commitment to Tennessee.

‘‘I narrowed it down to the places where I liked the D-line coach,” said Langley during Monday’s announcement in front of the Seneca Valley trophy case. ‘‘The Tennessee line coach contacted me a lot. Mainly ... I think I have the best opportunity to play and the best opportunity to have a good experience [at Tennessee].”

Langley was to be joined at the podium Monday by senior fullback⁄linebacker Jourdan Brooks, who is being courted by a host of Division I-A schools as well but Brooks and his family decided to wait a little longer before finalizing his decision.

‘‘I’, waiting another two or three weeks probably,” Brooks said. ‘‘By then I’ll be ready to make my decision. I’m looking at Oklahoma, Tennessee, Rutgers and Syracuse. Those are basically my finalists right now. It’s a tough process. All these great schools are offering. It’s hard to choose.”

Langley expressed similar thoughts about his recruiting process, which began last February when Ball State contacted him, especially with his parents leaning toward Penn State, while he and the Seneca Valley coaching staff favoring the Volunteers.

‘‘Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Michigan State and Penn State were the ones I finalized,” Langley said. ‘‘When I went to Michigan State, I really didn’t like that. I really didn’t think that was where I wanted to be. Lucky for me [because] they just fired the coach. I just kept going down the line, going down and taking my official visits.”

‘‘When I went to Tennessee, I liked it. It got to the point that everywhere I went I kept comparing to Tennessee.”

He’ll join a Tennessee program that resides in arguably the best college football conference in the nation — the Southeastern Conference — which boasts perennial powerhouses Louisiana State, Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Georgia. The Volunteers (7-2, 3-2 SEC) are No. 13 in the most recent Associated Press poll after falling 28-24 to LSU Saturday.

‘‘Going from Seneca Valley, a nice little 3A school with much tradition, and going to the best conference in the United States of America, it’s a tough transition but I think I can get through that with my parents, my coaches, [Tennessee defensive line coach] Dan Brooks and things like that helping me out,” Langley said. ‘‘I know I can be a top player in the country. I know Tennessee can help me get to that level.”

As does Kim, who spoke glowingly about Langley’s rise from a struggling freshman, who lacked the physical and mental maturity to play at a high level, to one of the nation’s most sought-after defensive linemen, who can bench press over 300 pounds and run a 40-yard dash in about 4.8 seconds despite weighing nearly 300 pounds on his 6-foot, 3-inch frame.

‘‘I remember coming over here three years ago, I didn’t know much about the young man,” said Kim. ‘‘All I heard of him was he could barely bench press the bar and obviously the last couple of years things have changed. He’s really turned into a tremendous, tremendous football player. Through many years of hard work and dedication, he’s gotten himself to this point. He got bigger and faster and stronger.

‘‘He has tremendous amount of potential. He has the exact size guys are looking for in college and even the pros: 6-3, 300 pounds, guys who can run quick as a cat and go sideline to sideline. If he works hard, he’ll be very successful.”

Langley’s play this season has helped Seneca Valley roll out to a 7-2 record and claim a near certain spot in the upcoming 3A West Region playoffs. The Screaming Eagles end the regular season Friday against Blake (1-8).

Langley, a 2005 first-team All-Gazette offensive lineman, has produced about 50 tackles with three sacks and an interception this season.

Note: Langley’s commitment is not binding. He will not sign an official letter of intent until early February.