Juan Castillo (American football)
Encyclopedia
Juan Castillo is an American football
defensive coordinator
for the Philadelphia Eagles
of the National Football League
. He played college football
at Texas A&I as a linebacker
. He played for the San Antonio Gunslingers
of the United States Football League
from 1984
–1985
. He joined the Eagles in 1995
as an offensive assistant. He was promoted to tight ends coach
in 1997
, and switched to offensive line coach
in 1998
. He was promoted to defensive coordinator on February 2, 2011.
to the United States
as teenagers. When he was 12, Castillo's father died after falling off a boat into the Gulf of Mexico
while shrimping. Castillo grew up in Port Isabel, Texas
, and attended Port Isabel High School in Port Isabel
where he played high school football
as a linebacker
. He earned all-state honors following his junior year.
while enrolled.
of the USFL from 1984
–1985
, mainly on special teams. In 1984, Castillo saw action in six games, making four tackles
and three assists. In 1985, Castillo played in seven games, making eight tackles and registering three assists on a 5–13 club.
at Kingsville High School from 1986–1989.
for Texas A&M University–Kingsville
from 1982–1985 and from 1990–1994 he was the offensive line coach. Four offensive linemen he coached ended up in the NFL: Jermane Mayberry
, Jorge Diaz
, Kevin Dogins
and Earl Dotson
.
hired Castillo as an offensive assistant in 1995
under Ray Rhodes
. In 1996
, the Eagles drafted Jermane Mayberry, an offensive lineman Castillo coached at Texas A&M University–Kingsville, in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft
. Castillo was promoted to tight ends coach
in 1997
, and switched to coaching the offensive line in 1998
. When Andy Reid
was hired as the head coach of the Eagles in 1999
, he retained Castillo on the coaching staff. Mayberry earned a Pro Bowl
berth in 2002
, and said Castillo "molded me into the player I became." Castillo coached the offensive line for thirteen seasons, from 1998–2010.
Castillo became the defensive coordinator
for the Eagles following the firing of Sean McDermott
on February 2, 2011.
. John is currently a distance runner at Villanova University
.
On August 17, 1998, Castillo fractured his left tibia
l plateau after he was hit by a utility truck outside of Veterans Stadium
. Even though he was on crutches, he still coached practice the following day.
In 2002, Castillo and his wife were invited to a Cinco de Mayo
celebration by President George W. Bush
at the White House
.
Port Isabel, Texas declared July 4, 2009 to be "Juan Castillo Day" and presented Castillo with a key to the city.
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 coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas A&I as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. He played for the San Antonio Gunslingers
San Antonio Gunslingers
The San Antonio Gunslingers were a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas that played in the USFL in 1984 and 1985. Rick Neuheisel was the team's quarterback and only recognizable name. The team played in Alamo Stadium...
of the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
from 1984
1984 USFL season
-Regular season:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against = Division Champion, = Wild Card-Playoffs:Home team in CAPITALSConference Semifinals* PHILADELPHIA 28, New Jersey 7...
–1985
1985 USFL season
The 1985 USFL season was the third and final season of the United States Football League.-Regular season:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against = Division Champion, = Wild Card-Playoffs:...
. He joined the Eagles in 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
as an offensive assistant. He was promoted to tight ends coach
Tight ends coach
A tight ends coach is a coach in charge of the tight ends in American football. The tight ends coach typically operates under the team's offensive coordinator....
in 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, and switched to offensive line coach
Offensive line coach
The offensive line coach is a coaching position in gridiron football that is in charge of the offensive line. This role is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The offensive line coach serves the offense, which is led by the offensive coordinator....
in 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. He was promoted to defensive coordinator on February 2, 2011.
Early years
Castillo's parents moved from MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as teenagers. When he was 12, Castillo's father died after falling off a boat into the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
while shrimping. Castillo grew up in Port Isabel, Texas
Port Isabel, Texas
Port Isabel is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas...
, and attended Port Isabel High School in Port Isabel
Port Isabel, Texas
Port Isabel is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas...
where he played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. He earned all-state honors following his junior year.
College career
Castillo earned a scholarship worth $500 to attend Texas A&I after spending a semester at Monterrey Tech. He played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
while enrolled.
San Antonio Gunslingers
Castillo played for the San Antonio GunslingersSan Antonio Gunslingers
The San Antonio Gunslingers were a professional American football team based in San Antonio, Texas that played in the USFL in 1984 and 1985. Rick Neuheisel was the team's quarterback and only recognizable name. The team played in Alamo Stadium...
of the USFL from 1984
1984 USFL season
-Regular season:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against = Division Champion, = Wild Card-Playoffs:Home team in CAPITALSConference Semifinals* PHILADELPHIA 28, New Jersey 7...
–1985
1985 USFL season
The 1985 USFL season was the third and final season of the United States Football League.-Regular season:W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PCT= Winning Percentage, PF= Points For, PA = Points Against = Division Champion, = Wild Card-Playoffs:...
, mainly on special teams. In 1984, Castillo saw action in six games, making four tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
and three assists. In 1985, Castillo played in seven games, making eight tackles and registering three assists on a 5–13 club.
High school
Castillo coached linebackers and was the defensive coordinatorDefensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
at Kingsville High School from 1986–1989.
College
Castillo was the defensive line coachDefensive Line Coach
A defensive line coach is a coach that is in charge of the defensive line in gridiron football. This position is very common in the CFL, NFL, and college football programs. The defensive line coach serves the defense, which is led by the defensive coordinator. A defensive line coach works primarily...
for Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Texas A&M University–Kingsville
Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a U.S. national university with a multicultural student body that is 62 percent Hispanic and includes students from 35 states and 43 foreign countries...
from 1982–1985 and from 1990–1994 he was the offensive line coach. Four offensive linemen he coached ended up in the NFL: Jermane Mayberry
Jermane Mayberry
Jermane Timothy Mayberry is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. During the beginning of his career, Mayberry played several positions along the offensive line before...
, Jorge Diaz
Jorge Diaz
Jorge Diaz is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He played college football at Texas A&M-Kingsville.Diaz also played for the Dallas Cowboys....
, Kevin Dogins
Kevin Dogins
Kevin Ray Dogins is a former professional American football offensive lineman for five seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Bears....
and Earl Dotson
Earl Dotson
Earl Christopher Dotson was an offensive tackle in the NFL. He played for the Green Bay Packers for 10 seasons. He started in Super Bowl XXXI and XXXII.He played college football at Texas A&M–Kingsville....
.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
hired Castillo as an offensive assistant in 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
under Ray Rhodes
Ray Rhodes
Raymond Earl Rhodes is currently a defensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns. He is also the former American football head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. He is the former assistant defensive backs coach of the Houston Texans...
. In 1996
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, the Eagles drafted Jermane Mayberry, an offensive lineman Castillo coached at Texas A&M University–Kingsville, in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft
1996 NFL Draft
The 1996 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 20–21, 1996...
. Castillo was promoted to tight ends coach
Tight ends coach
A tight ends coach is a coach in charge of the tight ends in American football. The tight ends coach typically operates under the team's offensive coordinator....
in 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, and switched to coaching the offensive line in 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. When Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
was hired as the head coach of the Eagles in 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, he retained Castillo on the coaching staff. Mayberry earned a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
berth in 2002
2003 Pro Bowl
The 2003 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 2, 2003 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was AFC 45, NFC 20. Ricky Williams of the Miami Dolphins was the game's MVP.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:-Offense:-Defense:...
, and said Castillo "molded me into the player I became." Castillo coached the offensive line for thirteen seasons, from 1998–2010.
Castillo became the defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the Eagles following the firing of Sean McDermott
Sean McDermott
Sean McDermott is an American football defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He served as defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles from 2009–2010, a position he took over shortly before his predecessor, Jim Johnson, died of cancer...
on February 2, 2011.
Personal
Castillo is married to his wife, Zaida, and have four sons: Gregory, John, Andres and Antonio. Gregory (born 1990) is currently a cornerback at the University of IowaUniversity of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. John is currently a distance runner at Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
.
On August 17, 1998, Castillo fractured his left tibia
Tibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
l plateau after he was hit by a utility truck outside of Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. Even though he was on crutches, he still coached practice the following day.
In 2002, Castillo and his wife were invited to a Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is a holiday held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico, primarily in the state of Puebla, where the holiday is called El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla...
celebration by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
.
Port Isabel, Texas declared July 4, 2009 to be "Juan Castillo Day" and presented Castillo with a key to the city.