Trevor Langford, a steady presence on the offensive line and team leader for Fort Dale’s football team, has signed to play for and study at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida.

Fort Dale’s head football coach James Sampley said Langford “worked himself into the position that’s he’s in now, in the weight room, conditioning, working at practice, he’s done everything he can to make himself the player that he is.”

Langford was an integral part of the Fort Dale offensive line, described by Sampley as the “bellcow of our offensive line… we moved him all over the place, he played several positions.”

“I would redshirt him if the AISA would let me,” Sampley added.

Langford was named to the Alabama Sport Writers Association All-State first team for the AISA.

Langford said the “home atmosphere” on Ave Maria’s campus drew him there initially, along with the beauty of south Florida.

Ave Maria, a private university, competes in the NAIA, commonly called The Sun Conference.

“The coaches down there, I think, really believe in me and I believe in them,” Langford said, “I think it will be a great experience, and they’ll be able to lead me on the right track.”

Ave Maria’s offensive line coach, Tom Brattan, has a wealth of coaching experience, including tenures at the University of Illinois, Stanford, and the University of Maryland.

“I don’t think [Langford] is through growing, and I know he’s not through developing as a player,” said Sampley, referencing Brattan as a possible key part in unlocking Langford’s full potential.

For Langford, the opportunity is the realization of a long-held dream:

“Since I was young I’ve always wanted to play college football, and I finally get to fulfill that dream,” he said.