Even there he was confronted with someone with real natural ability. He had a study group where he noticed some students grasped the answer much quicker

> I was recognizing that while I had an excellent math brain, I didn’t have the gift of insight that sets apart the best mathematicians.

Definitely gifted but my point is that his success came mostly from hard work, focus and interest. Something that Langan could have easily replicated if he chose to focus on that.