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Luis Castillo (football player)
Encyclopedia
Luis Alberto Castillo is a Dominican
American football
defensive end
for the San Diego Chargers
of the NFL. He was the cover athlete for the Spanish language version of Madden NFL 08
.
, Castillo attended Garfield High School
, where he was team captain and team MVP of the football team, under coach Steven Mucha.
, where he lived in Elder Hall for his freshman year. He was a 2004 Pro Football Weekly All-American
selection, a Second-team All-Big Ten, Academic All-America by ESPN and Second-team Academic All-Big Ten. In 2003 he was a First-team Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten. Again, a Second-team Academic All-District by CoSIDA and Academic All-Big Ten in 2002. Castillo finished career with 251 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 19.5 tackles for loss.
.
when he sent a letter to all 32 NFL teams admitting to using androstenedione
, a steroid
hormone
which increased the amount of testosterone his body produced, promoting muscle growth and healing in an effort to quicken the rehab process of a slow-healing injury so he could perform in all the drills at the 2005 NFL Combine
. He claimed he used the steroids in an attempt to fully recover from an elbow injury suffered in the very first game of his senior year at Northwestern. Castillo hyper-extended his elbow, damaging the ulnar collateral ligament
, basically preventing him from using one of his arms. Being the team captain, he felt an obligation to fight through the pain and finish the year.
In an interview with Peter King
, Castillo said:
After the urine test came back positive, he and his agent wrote the letters to all the teams admitting use of an illegal substance. Despite this, San Diego Chargers Executive Vice President and General Manager A.J. Smith took a chance on Castillo because of his stellar track record at Northwestern. When asked about Castillo's steroid use, AJ responded, "Let me tell you -- this is a great kid. Did he cheat to try to get ready for the Combine? All of that is true. He has admitted it. He cheated to cut a corner because he was fearful. But I don't believe he gained an advantage [over what he would have been had he not been hurt]. If we wouldn't have picked him, someone else would have -- because he's proven what a good kid he is and this was a one-time mistake."
Luis Castillo is only the fourth player of Dominican
heritage to be drafted and start in the NFL. talin Colinet,Dante Rosario,Pedro Sosa].
In 2005 Castillo was named a All-Rookie Team selection by NFL.com, Pro Football Weekly
/Professional Football Writers of America. Castillo has emerged as a play maker alongside Jamal Williams
and Igor Olshansky
, creating havoc in opposing backfields. He ended his rookie season with 49 tackles, 3½ sacks, and 3 pass deflections. In the 2006 opening game at the Oakland Raiders
ESPN commentator Dick Vermeil
called Castillo one of the best young defensive linemen he's seen in a long time. Castillo was a second alternate to the 2006 Pro Bowl
. His season totals included playing in 10 games (9 starts) 37 tackles, 7 sacks, and an interception, On November 6, 2007, it was announced that Castillo would miss at least 6 weeks after having surgery on one of his knees. For the 2007 season he gain played in 10 games and started nine. He totaled 33 tackles, 2½ sacks and one deflected pass. In 2008, following a tackle of Vince Young
, Castillo performed a salsa
dance for the crowd. His statistics for 2008 were 16 games played, 15 starts, 39 tackles, 1½ sacks, a pass defensed and an interception (the second of his career).
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL. He was the cover athlete for the Spanish language version of Madden NFL 08
Madden NFL 08
Madden NFL 08 is the 2008 edition of the American football video game series published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 19th installment in the Madden NFL video game franchise. It features Titans star quarterback Vince Young on the cover. San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis...
.
Early years
Raised in Garfield, New JerseyGarfield, New Jersey
Garfield is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,487.When the area that is now Garfield was first developed in 1873, it was known as East Passaic. In 1881, the community's name was changed to Garfield in honor of...
, Castillo attended Garfield High School
Garfield High School (New Jersey)
Garfield High School is a four-year public high school located in Garfield, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Garfield Public Schools...
, where he was team captain and team MVP of the football team, under coach Steven Mucha.
College career
He attended Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, where he lived in Elder Hall for his freshman year. He was a 2004 Pro Football Weekly All-American
2004 College Football All-America Team
The 2004 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College...
selection, a Second-team All-Big Ten, Academic All-America by ESPN and Second-team Academic All-Big Ten. In 2003 he was a First-team Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten. Again, a Second-team Academic All-District by CoSIDA and Academic All-Big Ten in 2002. Castillo finished career with 251 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 19.5 tackles for loss.
2005 NFL Draft
Castillo was selected with the 28th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
.
| Pre-draft measureables | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash 40 yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football... |
10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20 ss 20 yard shuttle The 20-yard shuttle, also simply called the short shuttle, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the quickness and change-of-direction ability of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
3-cone 3 cone drill The 3 cone drill, or three cone drill, is a test performed by American football athletes at the NFL combine. It is primarily run to evaluate the agility, quickness and fluidity of movement of players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting... |
Vert Vertical jump A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is... |
Broad | BP Bench press The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight... |
Wonderlic | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-2 * | 305 * | 4.79 * | 1.67 * | 2.81 * | 4.26 * | X | 34" * | 9'04" * | 32 * | 37 * | |||||||||
| * represents NFL Combine NFL Combine The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general... **represents Northwestern Pro Day—"X" Denotes "No Data" or "Did Not Participate" |
|||||||||||||||||||
Positive drug test
Castillo made headlines at the 2005 NFL CombineNFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
when he sent a letter to all 32 NFL teams admitting to using androstenedione
Androstenedione
Androstenedione is a 19-carbon steroid hormone produced in the adrenal glands and the gonads as an intermediate step in the biochemical pathway that produces the androgen testosterone and the estrogens estrone and estradiol.-Synthesis:Androstenedione is the common precursor of male and female sex...
, a steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
hormone
Hormone
A hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one...
which increased the amount of testosterone his body produced, promoting muscle growth and healing in an effort to quicken the rehab process of a slow-healing injury so he could perform in all the drills at the 2005 NFL Combine
NFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
. He claimed he used the steroids in an attempt to fully recover from an elbow injury suffered in the very first game of his senior year at Northwestern. Castillo hyper-extended his elbow, damaging the ulnar collateral ligament
Ulnar collateral ligament
Ulnar collateral ligament can refer to:* Ulnar collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament...
, basically preventing him from using one of his arms. Being the team captain, he felt an obligation to fight through the pain and finish the year.
In an interview with Peter King
Peter King (sportswriter)
Peter King is an American sportswriter. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated and its Web site, including the weekly multiple-page column Monday Morning Quarterback. He is the author of five books, most notably Inside the Helmet, as well as a TV analyst and reporter...
, Castillo said:
"So I got shot up before games and just endured the pain,["] Castillo told me. "There were a lot of tough moments. The pain was unbelievable. I had the option of taking a medical redshirt after our third game. I could have come back for a fifth year if I stopped playing then. I could have had surgery, and either come back next year and play again, or maybe make it back in time to work out and get ready for the NFL Draft. But I decided to keep playing. I basically played with one arm. My get-off ability was down. I was falling a lot. I wasn't anywhere near the player I could have been, but I played. At the end of the year, I expected I would have surgery and then come back in six or eight months, but then I saw the Bears' team doctor, and he told me that a lot of football players come back from this injury without having the surgery. So I just started rehabbing and thought I'd be ready for the Combine."
After the urine test came back positive, he and his agent wrote the letters to all the teams admitting use of an illegal substance. Despite this, San Diego Chargers Executive Vice President and General Manager A.J. Smith took a chance on Castillo because of his stellar track record at Northwestern. When asked about Castillo's steroid use, AJ responded, "Let me tell you -- this is a great kid. Did he cheat to try to get ready for the Combine? All of that is true. He has admitted it. He cheated to cut a corner because he was fearful. But I don't believe he gained an advantage [over what he would have been had he not been hurt]. If we wouldn't have picked him, someone else would have -- because he's proven what a good kid he is and this was a one-time mistake."
San Diego Chargers
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
heritage to be drafted and start in the NFL. talin Colinet,Dante Rosario,Pedro Sosa].
In 2005 Castillo was named a All-Rookie Team selection by NFL.com, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
/Professional Football Writers of America. Castillo has emerged as a play maker alongside Jamal Williams
Jamal Williams
Jamal Williams is an American football nose tackle who is currently a free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 1998 Supplemental Draft...
and Igor Olshansky
Igor Olshansky
Igor Olshansky is a Ukrainian-born American football defensive end free agent in National Football League. He last played for the Miami Dolphins....
, creating havoc in opposing backfields. He ended his rookie season with 49 tackles, 3½ sacks, and 3 pass deflections. In the 2006 opening game at the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
ESPN commentator Dick Vermeil
Dick Vermeil
Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a former American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles , St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs...
called Castillo one of the best young defensive linemen he's seen in a long time. Castillo was a second alternate to the 2006 Pro Bowl
2006 Pro Bowl
The 2006 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 12, 2006 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It marked the 27th consecutive time that the National Football League's all-star game was held in Honolulu...
. His season totals included playing in 10 games (9 starts) 37 tackles, 7 sacks, and an interception, On November 6, 2007, it was announced that Castillo would miss at least 6 weeks after having surgery on one of his knees. For the 2007 season he gain played in 10 games and started nine. He totaled 33 tackles, 2½ sacks and one deflected pass. In 2008, following a tackle of Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
, Castillo performed a salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
dance for the crowd. His statistics for 2008 were 16 games played, 15 starts, 39 tackles, 1½ sacks, a pass defensed and an interception (the second of his career).