Castille gains confidence, makes big impression
It makes sense that Quentin Castille’s favorite movie is “Friday Night Lights.”
Castille played high school football in Texas. The coach his freshman and sophomore years at LaPorte High School, T.J. Mills, was a former coach at Odessa Permian, the school on which the movie is based.
And LaPorte, like hundreds of other small towns in Texas, lives and breathes football.
The movie, Castille said, isn’t overdramatic in its depiction of high school football in the state.
“It’s actually underrated,” Castille said. “We PLAY football. I’m telling ya, we play football.”
“Friday Night Lights” is now a TV series (entering its second season), although Castille said he doesn’t watch the show. He also hasn’t read the book on which the movie is based.
“I started to read it,” Castille said, “but I’m not too fond of books.”
Imagine, then, how Castille felt when Nebraska coaches gave him the Husker playbook in February, the day after he signed his letter of intent.
Castille had months to read up, study, learn … an opportunity to make a huge impression come fall camp in August.
That, uh, didn’t happen so much.
It’s true. Nebraska’s latest freshman buzz at running back — the guy who less than two weeks before his first game said he’d run for 1,000 yards this season — hadn’t a clue on Day One.
“I was not confident at all,” said the 6-foot-1, 245-pound true freshman. “As a matter of fact, the first two weeks of camp, I didn’t have any confidence in myself. I was just down on myself every day.”
Castille is no longer downtrodden. An impressive debut that elicited 78 postgame text messages (one, apparently, for each yard he ran) and a new nickname, “Baby Hummer”, will lift a youngster’s spirits.
“He loves to smile, and he loves football,” Nebraska running backs coach Randy Jordan said. “He’s one of the last ones to leave practice, just hanging around.
“That’s one of the things I love about him.”
Another, perhaps, is Castille’s bulldozing way of running a football. Two yards become three … three become four, and four become five.
“And if he falls forward,” Jordan said, “he can get two more yards.”
That might be helpful when Nebraska plays its first road game of the season, at Wake Forest.
Conventional wisdom might say coach Bill Callahan, whose team rushed for 413 yards in its season opener, will unleash Sam Keller’s arm against a Wake Forest secondary that last week allowed 408 passing yards.
Then again, Callahan is always stressing the importance of a strong running game in winning championships … and winning road games.
Last season, Nebraska turned to its ball-control rushing ways in victories at Iowa State and Kansas State. Will a similar approach be used against Wake? And are the young running backs, like Castille, ready for a road environment?
Castille and Jordan both stressed one thing: Focus. It’s easy to lose concentration in a hostile environment, they say.
Then again, for Castille, his first appearance last week before 84,078 fans at Memorial Stadium was downright nerve-racking.
“I was trembling,” Castille said, recalling how coaches had informed him in pre-game meetings that he’d be playing in the first quarter. “I didn’t want to put my pads on.”
He did, obviously. Castille responded with 18 carries that netted 78 yards and two touchdowns. And he did it without even a bobble.
In fact, Nebraska had 70 rushing attempts in its season opener with zero fumbles. That included 29 carries by running backs who had never before carried in a college game: true freshmen Castille and Roy Helu and sophomore Major Culbert.
Castille’s performance was secondary to Marlon Lucky’s breakout, career-high 233-yard outing, but perhaps was just as important. He complements Lucky as the big, powerful back in Nebraska’s backfield, a key component, given the injuries that have plagued Cody Glenn, who’s filled the “power back” role the last two seasons.
In fact, Castille lined up as a fullback and had a couple of carries on a fullback trap, a rare play in Callahan’s West Coast offense, but yet greatly appreciated by nostalgic Nebraska fans.
“When you can line him up 5 yards and get him pretty close in proximity to the line of scrimmage,” Jordan said, “he’s got a pretty good feel for that play. It just gives us another dimension in our offense.”
It’s an offense Castille struggled to grasp from a reading and writing standpoint, he said. Hence, his frustrations early in fall camp.
“I’m like a hands-on kind of guy,” Castille said. “If I see it, I’ll learn it.”
That’s exactly what happened when Castille began seeing more practice reps. With more reps came a better knowledge and understanding of the offense. Things started clicking.
“I know more than what I thought I would know,” Castille said. “Kenny (Wilson) and Marlon were like, ‘Oh, man, it took me until the middle of the season to learn all my plays!’
“I don’t know all of them, but I know a good portion.”
Enough that Castille isn’t backing off his goal of rushing for 1,000 yards this season. Of course, only one true freshman has ever run for 1,000 yards at Nebraska. Ahman Green had 1,086 in 1995.
“I’m real serious about that,” Castille said. “I want me and Marlon to run at least for a thousand.”
Now that Castille says he’s regained his confidence, who knows?
“Jitterbugs are done now. I’m over it. First game’s out of the way,” he said. “I know I can bring a lot more to the table.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
Castille played high school football in Texas. The coach his freshman and sophomore years at LaPorte High School, T.J. Mills, was a former coach at Odessa Permian, the school on which the movie is based.
And LaPorte, like hundreds of other small towns in Texas, lives and breathes football.
The movie, Castille said, isn’t overdramatic in its depiction of high school football in the state.
“It’s actually underrated,” Castille said. “We PLAY football. I’m telling ya, we play football.”
“Friday Night Lights” is now a TV series (entering its second season), although Castille said he doesn’t watch the show. He also hasn’t read the book on which the movie is based.
“I started to read it,” Castille said, “but I’m not too fond of books.”
Imagine, then, how Castille felt when Nebraska coaches gave him the Husker playbook in February, the day after he signed his letter of intent.
Castille had months to read up, study, learn … an opportunity to make a huge impression come fall camp in August.
That, uh, didn’t happen so much.
It’s true. Nebraska’s latest freshman buzz at running back — the guy who less than two weeks before his first game said he’d run for 1,000 yards this season — hadn’t a clue on Day One.
“I was not confident at all,” said the 6-foot-1, 245-pound true freshman. “As a matter of fact, the first two weeks of camp, I didn’t have any confidence in myself. I was just down on myself every day.”
Castille is no longer downtrodden. An impressive debut that elicited 78 postgame text messages (one, apparently, for each yard he ran) and a new nickname, “Baby Hummer”, will lift a youngster’s spirits.
“He loves to smile, and he loves football,” Nebraska running backs coach Randy Jordan said. “He’s one of the last ones to leave practice, just hanging around.
“That’s one of the things I love about him.”
Another, perhaps, is Castille’s bulldozing way of running a football. Two yards become three … three become four, and four become five.
“And if he falls forward,” Jordan said, “he can get two more yards.”
That might be helpful when Nebraska plays its first road game of the season, at Wake Forest.
Conventional wisdom might say coach Bill Callahan, whose team rushed for 413 yards in its season opener, will unleash Sam Keller’s arm against a Wake Forest secondary that last week allowed 408 passing yards.
Then again, Callahan is always stressing the importance of a strong running game in winning championships … and winning road games.
Last season, Nebraska turned to its ball-control rushing ways in victories at Iowa State and Kansas State. Will a similar approach be used against Wake? And are the young running backs, like Castille, ready for a road environment?
Castille and Jordan both stressed one thing: Focus. It’s easy to lose concentration in a hostile environment, they say.
Then again, for Castille, his first appearance last week before 84,078 fans at Memorial Stadium was downright nerve-racking.
“I was trembling,” Castille said, recalling how coaches had informed him in pre-game meetings that he’d be playing in the first quarter. “I didn’t want to put my pads on.”
He did, obviously. Castille responded with 18 carries that netted 78 yards and two touchdowns. And he did it without even a bobble.
In fact, Nebraska had 70 rushing attempts in its season opener with zero fumbles. That included 29 carries by running backs who had never before carried in a college game: true freshmen Castille and Roy Helu and sophomore Major Culbert.
Castille’s performance was secondary to Marlon Lucky’s breakout, career-high 233-yard outing, but perhaps was just as important. He complements Lucky as the big, powerful back in Nebraska’s backfield, a key component, given the injuries that have plagued Cody Glenn, who’s filled the “power back” role the last two seasons.
In fact, Castille lined up as a fullback and had a couple of carries on a fullback trap, a rare play in Callahan’s West Coast offense, but yet greatly appreciated by nostalgic Nebraska fans.
“When you can line him up 5 yards and get him pretty close in proximity to the line of scrimmage,” Jordan said, “he’s got a pretty good feel for that play. It just gives us another dimension in our offense.”
It’s an offense Castille struggled to grasp from a reading and writing standpoint, he said. Hence, his frustrations early in fall camp.
“I’m like a hands-on kind of guy,” Castille said. “If I see it, I’ll learn it.”
That’s exactly what happened when Castille began seeing more practice reps. With more reps came a better knowledge and understanding of the offense. Things started clicking.
“I know more than what I thought I would know,” Castille said. “Kenny (Wilson) and Marlon were like, ‘Oh, man, it took me until the middle of the season to learn all my plays!’
“I don’t know all of them, but I know a good portion.”
Enough that Castille isn’t backing off his goal of rushing for 1,000 yards this season. Of course, only one true freshman has ever run for 1,000 yards at Nebraska. Ahman Green had 1,086 in 1995.
“I’m real serious about that,” Castille said. “I want me and Marlon to run at least for a thousand.”
Now that Castille says he’s regained his confidence, who knows?
“Jitterbugs are done now. I’m over it. First game’s out of the way,” he said. “I know I can bring a lot more to the table.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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