Luis Castillo is still looking for his first NFL sack, but he has been in on more than his share of controversial plays in his rookie season.
The San Diego Chargers’ first-round pick from Northwestern has been penalized twice for hitting quarterbacks in the head and inadvertently fell into Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, resulting in a hyperextended knee that kept Roethlisberger out last week.
“It’s kind of terrible, but it’s something you deal with,” Castillo said of the hits. “It’s not something you’re intentionally doing.”
In the season opener, Castillo was trying to hit the Cowboys’ Drew Bledsoe on the shoulder. He missed, getting Bledsoe in the head. The penalty kept alive a Dallas scoring drive in a 28-24 Cowboys win. In his second start, Sept. 25, he drew a penalty while rushing Eli Manning.
The hit on Roethlisberger was on “Monday Night Football” last week.
“As much as we talk about let’s go in there and pound another team, you never want to be part of something like that,” Castillo said. “I’m happy he’s doing all right. I was being pulled down and happened to fall into his knee.”
Castillo played tackle at NU but moved into the Chargers’ lineup at left end in the second week of the season.
“I’m not unhappy with my role,” he said. “At tackle you’re around the ball a lot more with a chance to make more plays. It has been a transition for me. Pass rushing is easier inside. As a 300-pound defensive tackle, I’m quick. As a defensive end, I’m slow.”