Sergio Castillo has been around long enough to have spent time in the NFL, XFL and Alliance of American Football and he’s suited up for five teams in the CFL.
At 32, he’s been through a lot.
Currently on his third go-round with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Castillo’s wealth of accumulated knowledge has helped to make him arguably the finest kicker north of the U.S.-Canada border.
Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press Files
Currently on his third go-round with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Sergio Castillo’s wealth of accumulated knowledge has helped to make him arguably the finest kicker north of the U.S.-Canada border.
He is 9-for-9 since returning to the Blue Bombers as a free agent in May and his streak of 21 consecutive field goals, which began in 2022 when he was with the Edmonton Elks, is the 17th longest streak in league history.
So what’s the biggest difference between the current player and the version of Castillo who had a pit stop in Winnipeg before losing out to free-agent signee Justin Medlock in 2016?
“I worked the six-pound muscle,” said a smiling Castillo, tapping his head after Wednesday’s practice. “We spend all this time lifting, working on kicking technique but a lot of people forget to work this.”
Blue Bombers special teams co-ordinator Paul Boudreau witnessed a cerebral transformation, too.
“He’s become a lot more professional and understanding of his work habits,” said Boudreau. “Where back then, he was young kid that was — (Medlock) was here and he would soak up from (Medlock) — learning how to be a pro. And I think after that time, he made some stops and went to the (NFL’s New York) Jets and when he came back and won a Grey Cup (in 2021), you can see the maturity and how he’s changed. And then even more so a year further down the road.”
Castillo reaches back to his youth to help explain the evolution.
“I know the ball is going in — that’s a difference,” said Castillo, who grew up in south Texas playing goalkeeper on youth soccer teams and kicking field goals in football. “I had a lot of insecurities that led (back) to my childhood. I had to get to know myself…
“My father wasn’t in my life very much so for me it has always felt like I had to prove — ‘Hey, maybe if I play well he’ll, he’ll be able to come to the game — and whatever circumstances were, it didn’t work out… So for me now, it’s just I play for something bigger, right?
“For me, it’s my faith in God. I play for him, I play for my family.”
To that end, Castillo carries a small sheet of paper tucked into his football pants with several affirmations written on it, his wife Adriana and son Jared’s names and his favourite Bible verse: Luke 12:48 (“When much is given, much is expected out of you”). In moments of uncertainty, he consults the note.
It’s part of a routine he developed a decade ago with the help of sports psychologist Dr. Michelle Bartlett at West Texas A&M University.
“She’s helped me with a couple of exercises that till this day I use because everyone thinks positive, but how do you do it?” said Castillo. “I have a piece of paper (on my hip). Sometimes I’ll have it during the week, but for the most part every game…
“So when I doubt myself, I tell myself, ‘You know what? God put me in this position, this platform. (Head coach Mike O’Shea) put trust is me to be on his team, so I should trust myself.’ That’s what I get out of that.”
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea.
Long-snapper Mike Benson knows Castillo well.
Both have two-year-old sons who hang out together, building on the relationship the two dads began during a run to the Grey Cup in the 2021.
“I’d say it’s fairly seamless,” said Benson of Castillo’s return to Winnipeg. “I mean, even in the one year that he wasn’t with us we kept in touch weekly, right? And it was the same in the off-season, too. When you meet like a good character guy like that and a good person in general, it’s makes it really easy to get back into a routine. Especially when (you) like your good friends off the field as well.”
Benson appreciates Castillo’s attention to detail and relentless drive to refine his game.
“It just comes down to his work ethic and his consistency and how he conducts himself every day and how he’s constantly working to get better,” said Benson. “I mean, that’s what you have to do as a pro and as long as he’s keeping in a good routine and keeping with what’s works for him, he’s gonna be very successful.”
A return to Winnipeg appears to have come at just the right time for Castillo, who calls Amarillo, Texas, home.
“I’m just having fun, right?” he said. “I’ve always felt confident but I feel a certain type of peace this year. Never felt like that before. A lot has to do with just the players and coaches and environment here. It’s just feels very homey, and it’s a culture, right?”
Twitter: @sawa14
