Langdon twins bring twice the toughness to North Allegheny linebacking corps

By: John Grupp
Saturday, October 5, 2024 | 11:01 AM

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North Allegheny senior linebackers Dylan and Kyle Langdon came into the world at the same time.

The identical twins share the exact same DNA, but that’s not all they have in common.

“They mean a lot to everything,” NA coach Art Walker said. “They are very good leaders. They work hard all the time. Defensively, they are very, very physical. … As coaches, it’s what you want in every player.”

Kyle, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound middle linebacker, and Dylan, a 6-1, 190-pound outside linebacker, are the first set of identical twins that Walker has coached in 27 seasons, including the past 20 at North Allegheny. The Langdon twins are team captains and the leading tacklers for the two-time defending WPIAL Class 6A champion Tigers (5-1, 2-1 as of Oct. 3).

“Since seventh grade, we’ve been playing side-by-side,” said Dylan, who was born “a couple of minutes” before his brother. “This season means a lot to me.”

The brothers, who turned 18 on Sept. 29, also share snaps on offense, playing a tight end/fullback hybrid H-back for North Allegheny.

They come from an athletic family. Their father, Tom, and their older brothers, Ryan and Tyler, played football at NA. Their mom, Danielle, played softball and basketball at Montour.

Walker admits it was difficult to tell the twins apart, especially early on when they were freshmen and sophomores. Offensive line coach Wayne Bugel came up with nicknames to distinguish the two, tagging Dylan as “Danger” and Kyle as “Killer.”

“They are different,” Walker said. “Obviously, I can tell them apart. But it took a while. It was hard early on, especially their ninth- and 10th-grade year.”

Kyle, who wears No. 20, and Dylan, No. 27, still get mixed up.

“That happens all the time in film,” Kyle said. “I will be, ‘Uh, it wasn’t me.’”

The two are identical playmakers for a new-look Tigers defense that lost five all-conference selections from last season’s PIAA runner-up.

Kyle, the team’s leading tackler, had an interception in a 42-7 victory over Gateway on Aug. 30 and led then-No. 1 NA with 12 tackles in a 27-14 loss to Central Catholic on Sept. 27 in a rematch of the past two WPIAL Class 6A championship games. Kyle also had eight tackles in a 22-20 victory over St. Frances Academy (Md.) Regional in the season opener and a team-high 10 tackles in an 18-14 win at Penn Hills.

Dylan had a 14-yard TD reception in the win over Gateway and recovered a fumble in a 42-14 victory at Hempfield. He had eight tackles against Penn Hills and added nine stops in the loss to then-No. 2 Central Catholic.

“As coaches, we just appreciate their hard work and their constant effort,” Walker said. “They are very similar how they play the game.”

The Tigers play at Canon-McMillan on Oct. 11 before closing out the regular season at home against Pine-Richland on Oct. 18 and Seneca Valley on Oct. 25. NA is trying to become the first program to win three consecutive WPIAL Class 6A titles and join an exclusive list of three-peat champions in the WPIAL’s largest classification.

The only other three-time big-school champs in the 110-year history of WPIAL football were North Allegheny (2010-12), Penn Hills (1976-78), New Castle (1932-34) and Wilkinsburg (1914-16). Penn Hills and New Castle each shared one of their titles.

“This year is very important to me,” Kyle said. “Going back to back and wanting to do a three-peat with my brother, it’s something that’s never been done. I cherish every moment because it could be my very last with him on that field.”

The Langdon brothers are hoping to play college football together, but the odds are against it. Kyle, who plans to study business, is visiting Valparaiso in November. Dylan plans to pursue pre-athletic training.

“It’s definitely hard to think we won’t be playing next to each other potentially (in college),” Dylan said. “He’s my teammate for life, and I don’t think I could play next to anybody else.”

Tags: North Allegheny