Bulldogs legend's moving message to troubled youths

Bulldogs legend Paul Langmack is taking an old world approach to helping thousands of youngsters deal with new world problems.Langmack comes from the school of hard knocks - he's a public housing 'graduate' who never went to university.And he is using his no-nonsense mentality to reach out to kids throughout New South Wales suffering from depression, bullying, anxiety, low self esteem and in danger of self harm."I have no proper education but I come from the school of life," Langmack, a hero of Canterbury's ruthless team in the 1980s told Wide World of Sports."I won my first comp with the Bulldogs in 1984 and a few months after that, we went to play a game of touch footy against the inmates of Long Bay jail - and three blokes I went to school with were in their team! "So I've known all sorts of people and had plenty of ups and downs in my own life."I've had cancer, had depression, been a coach and sacked as a coach, been on TV… at times I've really struggled."When I played footy, I had real jobs … I ran service stations and a Hungry Jacks franchise."I made money, I lost money but I learned as I went along."The New South Rugby League through their boss Dave Trodden gave me this opportunity to spread the message to young kids and I'm forever grateful to them."I know a lot of them think I'm an old dickhead, but I reckon I get through to most of them and they listen."I take two counsellors with me and they help if there are any signs of kids who look in danger of self harming."Langmack believes the modern generation has it too easy."They think they know it all because they can google stuff," he said.

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