Former Wolf QB Gunnar Langvold.
Bord Langvold
I have always liked Gunnar Langvold.
The former Coupeville High School quarterback would likely be the first to admit he had a checkered career with the Wolves.
Gunnar, who I used to work with at Christopher’s on Whidbey, is a goofball who means well but, sometimes allowed the, shall we say, slightly idiotic side of his personality, to win over common sense.
He was also a kid, growing up and finding his way.
Kids make mistakes. Hopefully they learn from their errors while they still have time.
I was very happy to see Gunnar get back on the field last year, after injuries and personal errors in judgement cost him parts of two seasons.
He played well in the games where he was eligible and healthy, including leading Coupeville to a huge blowout win over Chimacum in his final game.
Even better, he graduated from CHS and has seemed to settle more on the side of making positive choices.
So, it’s tough to see the guy facing more battles in his life.
He had recent knee surgery, thanks to a renegade trampoline, but, as he recovers from that, his family is facing hard times.
Gunnar’s dad, Bord Langvold, who used to be a regular at Videoville during my 12 years behind the counter, has been fighting the ravages of kidney disease.
It’s an illness I know all too well, as my mom was slowly chipped away by it.
Bord is on kidney dialysis three times a week and now his insurance has decided not to cover the entire bill, leaving the Langvolds responsible for 20% of the bill.
With retirement and disability checks not covering everything, the family’s house has gone into foreclosure, as well.
Through good times and bad times, Gunnar was a huge part of Wolf Nation.
I think his time playing football and the work put in by gridiron coach Tony Maggio and his staff to try and shape Gunnar into a stronger person first and a better athlete second benefited him greatly.
It would be nice if we, as a community, could continue and try to keep that helping hand extended.
Whether you can help financially or through a few words of support, reach out to Gunnar. Let him know that you care about him and where he, and his family, are going in life.
He’s a good guy at heart, maybe a little misunderstood at times and more than a little idiotic at others, but a young man with great promise and potential he is starting to fully tap.
Let’s make sure we don’t forget him now that his days in the red and black are done.
To see Gunnar’s fundraiser for his dad, pop over to:
http://www.gofundme.com/ftqcyw
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