Foppa
New member
Freshman I-back Castille bowls over teammates
BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Aug 14, 2007 - 12:07:59 am CDT
Teammates have practically begged him to get out his “Truck Stick.”
Ah, the daunting “Truck Stick.” In the “Madden NFL 2006” video game, the “Truck Stick” feature allows an offensive player to lower his shoulder and break a tackle �” a burst of brute strength that ranks among Nebraska I-back Quentin Castille’s foremost attributes in real life.
The 6-foot-1, 245-pound true freshman brought out his “Truck Stick” during scrimmage action Monday, plowing through a backup safety after breaking into the open field on a stretch play.
“It happened about 20 yards after he got past the line of scrimmage,” Nebraska wide receiver Nate Swift said with admiration.
Veteran Husker players are raving about the big back from La Porte, Texas, which is near Houston. With NU junior I-backs Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn nursing injuries, Castille has gotten his share of carries in recent practices. And he’s done enough with those chances that coaches are basically guaranteeing playing time for him this season, most likely in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
But it might be a mistake to place limits on Castille, who arrived in Lincoln in June weighing 265 pounds.
“He fits the profile you look for in a big back; he can run people over,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “That’s what he does best. ... When you’re down in the short-yardage and goal-line situations, it’s good to pound the big backs.”
Castille also has good speed �” in the 4.5-second range for the 40-yard dash, he said.
Said Callahan: “Whatever he needs to do, he can do it. He’s got skills. It’s going to be exciting to watch him develop over the next four and five years. I think he’s a big-time back. He has a lot of talent and a lot of want-to.”
Added Swift: “He’s like Cody Glenn. He has the quickness, but he also likes to put his head down and hit a guy every once in awhile. ... He’s going to be one of those tough-nosed backs.”
Rickey Thenarse probably would attest to Castille’s toughness. The 6-1, 190-pound Thenarse was the victim of Castille’s “Truck Stick” Monday at Memorial Stadium. It’s unfortunate that Nebraska running backs coach Randy Jordan missed the collision. He was working with his other two freshman I-backs, Roy Helu and Marcus Mendoza, when Castille bolted into the secondary.
Of the Huskers’ three true freshman backs, Castille has generated by far the most buzz through nine preseason practices.
“I just heard the ‘oohs’ of (Castille’s) teammates,” Jordan said of the “Truck Stick” run. “The only thing I saw was the aftermath.”
Playing last season in La Porte High School’s spread offense, Castille rushed for 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging nearly eight yards per carry while running mostly up the middle. He also caught 12 passes, including two for touchdowns. All told, he rushed for more than 4,000 yards in high school and was ranked by Rivals.com� No. 2 among the nation’s prep fullbacks. He chose NU over Louisville.
Castille said he sees his running style resembling that of former Nebraska I-back Lawrence Phillips. If need be, Castille said, he’ll try to juke a defender. But he has stories of running over them, such as the time he stepped on a player’s facemask en route to the end zone.
“That was pretty nasty,” Castille said.
As one might expect from a freshman, Castille has some learning to do.
“Sometimes you want to kiss him and hug him, and sometimes you just look at him like, ‘Man, what in the wide world of sports are you doing?’ But he has a lot of athletic ability,” Jordan said. “He’s going to help our team this year. He’s a tremendous kid �” everything we thought he’d be. We’re going to find a role for him.”
Jordan thinks ahead toward cold-weather months �” nobody’s going to want to tackle Castille, the coach said.
“The thing he gives us is a tremendous presence up the middle,” Jordan said. “If he continues to develop, he can add a little bit more (to his repertoire). But he is a freshman. So you have to take it piece by piece.”
Castille isn’t exactly enthralled with his practice performances to this point. In fact, he said he thought he would “do a whole better” than he has so far. After all, he came from Texas, where football is king. He didn’t anticipate college players being markedly better than the ones he encountered in high school, he said.
However, he hasn’t had much trouble with the physical contact part of the college game.
Asked if his teammates hit hard, Castille said, “Some of them do. But me being a big back, it doesn’t really faze me too much. I won’t be intimidated by nobody.”
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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BY STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Aug 14, 2007 - 12:07:59 am CDT
Teammates have practically begged him to get out his “Truck Stick.”
Ah, the daunting “Truck Stick.” In the “Madden NFL 2006” video game, the “Truck Stick” feature allows an offensive player to lower his shoulder and break a tackle �” a burst of brute strength that ranks among Nebraska I-back Quentin Castille’s foremost attributes in real life.
The 6-foot-1, 245-pound true freshman brought out his “Truck Stick” during scrimmage action Monday, plowing through a backup safety after breaking into the open field on a stretch play.
“It happened about 20 yards after he got past the line of scrimmage,” Nebraska wide receiver Nate Swift said with admiration.
Veteran Husker players are raving about the big back from La Porte, Texas, which is near Houston. With NU junior I-backs Marlon Lucky and Cody Glenn nursing injuries, Castille has gotten his share of carries in recent practices. And he’s done enough with those chances that coaches are basically guaranteeing playing time for him this season, most likely in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
But it might be a mistake to place limits on Castille, who arrived in Lincoln in June weighing 265 pounds.
“He fits the profile you look for in a big back; he can run people over,” Nebraska coach Bill Callahan said. “That’s what he does best. ... When you’re down in the short-yardage and goal-line situations, it’s good to pound the big backs.”
Castille also has good speed �” in the 4.5-second range for the 40-yard dash, he said.
Said Callahan: “Whatever he needs to do, he can do it. He’s got skills. It’s going to be exciting to watch him develop over the next four and five years. I think he’s a big-time back. He has a lot of talent and a lot of want-to.”
Added Swift: “He’s like Cody Glenn. He has the quickness, but he also likes to put his head down and hit a guy every once in awhile. ... He’s going to be one of those tough-nosed backs.”
Rickey Thenarse probably would attest to Castille’s toughness. The 6-1, 190-pound Thenarse was the victim of Castille’s “Truck Stick” Monday at Memorial Stadium. It’s unfortunate that Nebraska running backs coach Randy Jordan missed the collision. He was working with his other two freshman I-backs, Roy Helu and Marcus Mendoza, when Castille bolted into the secondary.
Of the Huskers’ three true freshman backs, Castille has generated by far the most buzz through nine preseason practices.
“I just heard the ‘oohs’ of (Castille’s) teammates,” Jordan said of the “Truck Stick” run. “The only thing I saw was the aftermath.”
Playing last season in La Porte High School’s spread offense, Castille rushed for 1,800 yards and 22 touchdowns, averaging nearly eight yards per carry while running mostly up the middle. He also caught 12 passes, including two for touchdowns. All told, he rushed for more than 4,000 yards in high school and was ranked by Rivals.com� No. 2 among the nation’s prep fullbacks. He chose NU over Louisville.
Castille said he sees his running style resembling that of former Nebraska I-back Lawrence Phillips. If need be, Castille said, he’ll try to juke a defender. But he has stories of running over them, such as the time he stepped on a player’s facemask en route to the end zone.
“That was pretty nasty,” Castille said.
As one might expect from a freshman, Castille has some learning to do.
“Sometimes you want to kiss him and hug him, and sometimes you just look at him like, ‘Man, what in the wide world of sports are you doing?’ But he has a lot of athletic ability,” Jordan said. “He’s going to help our team this year. He’s a tremendous kid �” everything we thought he’d be. We’re going to find a role for him.”
Jordan thinks ahead toward cold-weather months �” nobody’s going to want to tackle Castille, the coach said.
“The thing he gives us is a tremendous presence up the middle,” Jordan said. “If he continues to develop, he can add a little bit more (to his repertoire). But he is a freshman. So you have to take it piece by piece.”
Castille isn’t exactly enthralled with his practice performances to this point. In fact, he said he thought he would “do a whole better” than he has so far. After all, he came from Texas, where football is king. He didn’t anticipate college players being markedly better than the ones he encountered in high school, he said.
However, he hasn’t had much trouble with the physical contact part of the college game.
Asked if his teammates hit hard, Castille said, “Some of them do. But me being a big back, it doesn’t really faze me too much. I won’t be intimidated by nobody.”
Reach Steven M. Sipple at 473-7440 or ssipple@journalstar.com.
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