Sergio Castillo

For the Bolivian footballer, see Sergio Castillo (footballer).

Sergio Castillo
refer to caption
Castillo with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2024
No. 14 – Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Position:Kicker
Personal information
Born: (1990-11-01) November 1, 1990 (age 34)
La Joya, Texas, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:184 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school:La Joya
College:West Texas A&M
Undrafted:2014
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Active
CFL status:American
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:7
Field goals:8
Field goal attempts:13
Field goal %:61.5
Longest:55
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Career CFL statistics as of 2022
Games played:59
Field goals:124
Field goal attempts:145
Field goal %:85.5
Longest:57
Stats at CFL.ca

Sergio Castillo (born November 1, 1990) is an American professional football placekicker and punter for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at West Texas A&M.

Professional career

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Atlanta Falcons

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Castillo was undrafted in the 2014 NFL draft and signed as a free agent placekicker with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League on June 12, 2014.[1] He played in the team's first preseason game, being successful on both of his field goal attempts and averaging 66.0 yards on two kickoffs. Unable to unseat the incumbent, Matt Bryant, Castillo was released shortly after that game on August 9, 2014.[2]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (first stint)

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On August 28, 2015, Castillo signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to a practice roster agreement.[3] After the incumbent Winnipeg kicker, Lirim Hajrullahu, missed four of five field goal attempts in a week 15 game against the Edmonton Eskimos, Castillo replaced him and made his professional regular season debut on October 10, 2015, against the BC Lions.[4][5] He was a perfect 5-for-5 in field goal attempts in his debut and remained the team's placekicker for the last four games of the season, finishing with 10 field goals from 13 attempts.[6]

In the following off-season, the Blue Bombers moved on from Hajrullahu and signed Justin Medlock to compete with Castillo. As the most accurate placekicker in CFL history, Medlock won the starting job and Castillo began the season on the injured list.[7] He did not play in a regular season game in 2016 and was eventually released on September 2, 2016.[8]

Ottawa Redblacks (first stint)

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On September 11, 2016, Castillo signed with the Ottawa Redblacks and replaced the injured Zackary Medeiros at punter.[8][9] Castillo punted in two games, recording 13 punts for a 45.2-yard average, but was released on September 26, 2016.[8]

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

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On May 28, 2017, Castillo signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to compete for the kicker position vacated by Brett Maher.[10] He won all three kicking duties following training camp and had a career year with the Tiger-Cats. He made 29 of 34 field goals, 20 of 21 converts, and had 93 punts for a 45.1-yard average in 14 games. However, on October 6, 2017, Castillo suffered a season-ending ACL injury while attempting to make a tackle after his missed field goal attempt.[11] He was released in the following off-season on February 24, 2018.[12]

Ottawa Redblacks (second stint)

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Castillo signed again with the Redblacks on April 9, 2018, to try out for a vacant kicker position, soon after his recovery from his ACL injury, but was unable to secure a position with the team.[13][14] He remained unsigned for the 2018 CFL season and did not play that year.

San Antonio Commanders

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Castillo was one of the first players to sign with the San Antonio Commanders of the upstart Alliance of American Football when his signing was announced on August 6, 2018.[15] He did not play in the Spring-based league as he was released on January 19, 2019.[16]

BC Lions (first stint)

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On May 26, 2019, Castillo signed with the BC Lions and began the season with all three kicking duties.[17] He started the season making all ten of his field goal attempts before missing a potential game-winning 42-yard field goal try in the July 6, 2019, game against the Toronto Argonauts.[18] However, because the kick had enough distance, the returner, Chris Rainey, stepped out of bounds at the end line and Castillo had the first game-winning last-play rouge since October 14, 2002.[19] He finished the season connecting on 41 field goals out of 45 attempts for a league-leading 91.1% success rate and was named a CFL All-Star.[20]

Houston Roughnecks

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On November 22, 2019, Castillo was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks in the 2020 XFL Supplemental Draft.[21] He played in five games and was successful on five field goals. He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.[22]

BC Lions (second stint)

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On April 20, 2020, Castillo signed a two-year contract to re-join the Lions.[23] After the CFL canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Castillo chose to opt-out of his contract with the Lions on August 28, 2020.[24]

New York Jets

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On October 14, 2020, Castillo was signed to the New York Jets practice squad.[25] He was elevated to the active roster on October 24 for the team's Week 7 game against the Buffalo Bills with Sam Ficken out with a groin injury.[26] He converted a field goal attempt and an extra point in the game, and reverted to the practice squad the next day.[27] He was promoted to the active roster on October 31.[28] On December 15, 2020, the Jets waived Castillo after missing three kicks in a blowout 40–3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.[29] On December 17, 2020, the Jets re-signed Castillo to their practice squad.[30] His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on January 11, 2021.[31]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (second stint)

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Castillo at Winnipeg's 2021 Grey Cup celebration at IG Field.

On October 19, 2021, the Blue Bombers acquired Castillo's playing rights via trade from the BC Lions, in exchange for a conditional 4th round pick in the 2022 CFL Draft.[32] He signed with the Blue Bombers on the same day.[33] The Lions had maintained Castillo's rights after he opted out of his two-year contract on August 28, 2020, to pursue opportunities in the NFL. Once he joined the team he quickly became the team's placekicker for the team, going 7 of 9 during the rest of the regular season. Castillo's abilities were not required in the CFL West Division final taking place at home in stormy conditions as the bombers scored three touchdowns to get to the 108th Grey Cup. There Castillo played a starring role for the Bombers, he went 5 for 5 on field goals, converting one extra point and while kicking with the high winds in the fourth quarter scored two critical rouges as the Bombers would go on to win 33-25 in overtime.[34][35] These were Castillo's first CFL playoff games and therefore his first Grey Cup championship.

Edmonton Elks

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On March 14, 2022, Castillo signed with the Edmonton Elks to a two-year contract.[36] He played in all 18 regular season games where he connected on 37 of 44 field goal attempts (84.1%) and 26 of 29 conversion attempts (89.7%). He was released shortly before 2023 training camp on May 4, 2023.[37]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (third stint)

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Shortly after his release from Edmonton, Castillo signed again with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on May 4, 2023.[38]

References

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  1. ^ "Falcons Add Kicker Sergio Castillo". Atlanta Falcons. June 12, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  2. ^ Choate, Dave (August 9, 2014). "Falcons Waive K Sergio Castillo, Sign LB Darin Drakeford". The Falcoholic. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  3. ^ "Bombers add Castillo". bluebombers.com. August 28, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  4. ^ "Edmonton vs Winnipeg Boxscore". cfl.ca. October 3, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  5. ^ Penton, Kirk (October 8, 2015). "Blue Bombers kicker Sergio Castillo fine tuned craft while working as teacher's aide". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  6. ^ "Winnipeg vs BC Boxscore". cfl.ca. October 10, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  7. ^ "Paring down the roster". bluebombers.com. June 18, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c "2016 CFL Transactions". cfl.ca. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  9. ^ "After rare CFL tie, Calgary Stampeders host Ottawa Redblacks in rematch". Kelowna Daily Courier. September 16, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  10. ^ "Tiger-Cats sign three placekickers and add two more on offence". ticats.ca. May 28, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  11. ^ "Ticats K/P Castillo leaves game with injury". cfl.ca. October 6, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  12. ^ "The Ticats have released Sergio Castillo and that sucks". 3downnation.com. February 24, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  13. ^ "Ottawa Redblacks sign kickers Richie Leone, Sergio Castillo". Ottawa Sun. April 9, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  14. ^ "Quick recovery for Sergio Castillo as he looks to kick himself into a job with Ottawa Redblacks". Ottawa Sun. April 24, 2018. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  15. ^ Songer, Cameron (August 6, 2018). "San Antonio's new pro football team signs its first players". kens5.com. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  16. ^ "Commanders passing game at Alamodome practice photo gallery". 210football.com. January 19, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  17. ^ "Lions ink kicker Sergio Castillo". cfl.ca. May 26, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  18. ^ "Seeing Rouge: Lions late-game single enough to top Argos". cfl.ca. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  19. ^ "CFL.ca Game Notes: A look at week 5". cfl.ca. July 10, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  20. ^ "Stars Aligned: 2019 CFL All-Stars unveiled". Canadian Football League. November 27, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  21. ^ "SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT RESULTS". XFL.com. November 22, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  22. ^ Condotta, Bob (April 10, 2020). "XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue". SeattleTimes.com. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  23. ^ "Kicker Sergio Castillo returns to Lions". BC Lions. April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  24. ^ "Lions' K Castillo opts out of contract". TSN.ca. August 28, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
  25. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (October 14, 2020). "Jets Designate WR Denzel Mims, 2 Others to Return to Practice". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  26. ^ Alper, Josh (October 24, 2020). "Jets activate Denzel Mims". NBCSports.com. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  27. ^ "Sergio Castillo: Back to practice squad". CBSSports.com. October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  28. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (October 31, 2020). "Jets Place S Bradley McDougald on Injured Reserve; Activate CB Arthur Maulet". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  29. ^ Greenberg, Ethan (December 15, 2020). "Jets Release K Sergio Castillo". NewYorkJets.com.
  30. ^ "Sergio Castillo: Retained on practice squad". CBSSports.com. December 17, 2020. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  31. ^ "Four players set free". FantasyGuru.com. January 11, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  32. ^ "Winnipeg acquires kicker Castillo in trade with Lions". Canadian Football League. October 19, 2021.
  33. ^ "Transactions – Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  34. ^ Dan Ralph (December 12, 2021). "Blue Bombers defeat Tiger-Cats 33-25 in OT to repeat as Grey Cup champions". CBC Sports.
  35. ^ Ed Tait (December 14, 2021). "Upon Further Review - WPG 33 HAM 25". Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
  36. ^ "Elks sign kicker Sergio Castillo to two-year deal". Canadian Football League. May 4, 2023.
  37. ^ "Elks release K Sergio Castillo, DL Avery Ellis, sign two more". Canadian Football League. May 4, 2023.
  38. ^ "Blue Bombers sign kicker Sergio Castillo". Winnipeg Blue Bombers. May 4, 2023.
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