Richards alum Sebastian Castro ready to show off versatility at NFL Combine

INDIANAPOLIS – Sebastian Castro took Illinois high school football by storm in 2018 when he became one of the state’s top two-way players for Richards.

Seven years later, Castro’s hoping to make another strong impression at the NFL Combine as he tries to find a spot in the NFL.

“I feel like I set myself apart by just doing my job, really,” Castro said Thursday. “I feel like I’m a great football player.”

Castro has proven that for much of his life. He became one of Illinois’ top high school players as a senior when he starred as a quarterback and a safety. Richards reached the Class 6A semifinals and had a 12-1 season after Castro made explosive plays with his legs on both sides of the ball.

That explosiveness continued throughout his career at Iowa when Castro moved around different spots defensively.

Castro played in a leo-cash position, a mix of the linebacker and defensive back positions, for much of his time with the Hawkeyes. With his speed and 5-foot-11, 205-pound frame, Castro had the ability to play on the line of scrimmage from the outside and drop in coverage or play in the box.

In 12 games this past fall, Castro finished fourth on the team with 57 total tackles, three for a loss. He also forced two fumbles and intercepted a pass on the road against national champion Ohio State.

That versatility is something Castro hopes will give him an edge this week when he interviews with teams.

“I’m confident just being around different areas of the field and just seeing it in a different perspective, a different alignment,” Casto said. “Every position has different responsibilities, so I feel like it’s going to transition well into the NFL, just being able to adapt.”

That confidence comes from dedicating his week up to games watching plenty of opponent film. Castro usually spent the beginning of the week learning about the personality of his opponent, their strengths, their tendencies.

Until Castro felt like he knew everything he could about what an opponent would do in every single scenario, he would watch all the tape he could.

“I feel that’s the fun part of the game,” Castro said. “Just getting yourself prepared to play this chess game, because that’s what it really is to the day.”

The other fun part is putting that studying to use. Castro’s also known for his physical style. He said he’s not afraid to put on strong hits as a defender. One of his favorite memories growing up was working on tackling drills.

“I feel like I set myself apart by just doing my job, really. I feel like I’m a great football player.”

—  Sebastian Castro, Richards alumnus

Thanks to some of his experience of playing quarterback in high school, Castro can survey the field and watch the play develop so he can find his gap.

Oh, and his hits.

“I like tracking the ball, I like hitting people and I like getting interceptions,” Castro said. “So whatever I can, whatever position I could play that involves that, I guess that I would enjoy playing.”

His former Iowa teammate and Montini defensive back Jermari Harris has another adjective for Castro.

“Tough,” Harris said.

Wherever Castro ends up playing in the country and on the field, he’s confident his style and passion for the game will help him impress once again at the highest level.

“It all starts with passion,” Castro said. “I’m a passionate person, so it makes me a passionate player. So it starts with that, and it just trickles down to other things. I’m a mentally tough person, so I benefit a lot from that when it comes to playing football. But on top of that, at the end of the day, I just love football.”