He is the type of football player high school coaches can’t wait to get on their team – a smart, coachable athlete who can take over the game with every snap. Thomas Castellanos is an eighth-grade highlight film whenever he is on the football field for Waycross Middle School.
At 5’9” 175-pounds, Castellanos is a two-way player, handling duties at quarterback on offense and linebacker on defense. But most of all, he loves the competition of the game.
“Playing against greats and striving to be the best,” Castellanos said.
As a quarterback, he runs the read option from the shotgun as well as any high school signal-caller. Castellanos can throw the ball and is an elusive runner when he breaks into the open. At running back, he is able to find the open holes and dart through them. Then there is his defensive prowess. As a linebacker, his speed lets him track opposing running backs and defend the pass.
“He is one of my leaders on my football team,” said Waycross Middle School Football Coach Kevin Stevenson. “He does a great job in the weight room. He lifts hard and works out hard. He’s very dedicated to getting better.”
His abilities at quarterback have given coaches reason to update Waycross Middle’s offense to a read/pass option to give Castellanos more choices with the ball.
“[Ware County High School Head Football Coach Franklin Stephens] looked at the kids that were coming up through the middle school and he feels like that’s the kind of offense he will start using because it fits our kids a little better,” Coach Stevenson said. “During spring practice Thomas picked up on it real well. A spread type offense fits him.”
This summer he participated in the Future Stars of Georgia game where he was named Defensive MVP. Along with several tackles and big hits, Castellanos also picked up a fumble and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown.
Castellanos started playing recreation league football at six-years-old for the Patterson Eagles as an offensive lineman. Not fond of the position, he moved to the backfield the following year with his brother, Ladedric, by his side.
“Since then, I have pretty much played for local rec or travel teams every year wherever I have lived and have loved the game of football,” he said.
Although he is a gifted athlete now, there was a time when Castellanos was not the best player.
“I used to be terrible at basketball,” he said. “I remember always shooting ‘granny shots’ when I was little and missing most of them. But over time, I have greatly improved my game and even won MVP last year.”
To improve his game, Castellanos often plays against older, more experienced opponents and also plays AAU basketball in the off season.
He started attending Waycross Middle School and played on the eighth-grade football team in sixth-grade. That year he was selected as both the Best Defensive Player in football and the Best Offensive Player in basketball. He made an impact on both teams right away.
“I made a big play against Appling County and forced a fumble which gave me the confidence to know that I can hang with the big dawgs,” he said. “I have just kept going hard ever since then.”
In seventh grade he was the football team’s Most Valuable Player and led the Bulldogs to the conference championship, again, against Appling County.
“We were down 6-10,” he said. “I was a seventh grader playing quarterback with like 2:00 minutes left on the clock and I scored the winning touchdown. We were all so excited to win the title after fighting so hard.”
In his two years in middle school, Castellanos has been part of three championship teams. Now, going into his eighth-grade season, Castellanos is looking for big things.
“I have recently begun working out with the high school and more at home,” he said. “I also try to surround myself with people that are better than me so I can learn and get better.”
He credits his coaches and his mom for making him the player and person he has become.
The son of Yukia McCullough, Castellanos enjoys Language Arts in the classroom. He would like to pursue a career in sports medicine after college. His ultimate goal is to be a five-star athlete coming out of high school, get a scholarship to a D-1 university, and play professional football.
Away from school, Castellanos is active in the Solid Rock Student Ministry at Central Baptist Church.
“I like hanging out with my friends and family but I do stay pretty busy with all three sports and practices all year long,” he said.
Coaches see Castellanos as a respectful, hardworking student/athlete who has a bright future ahead of him at Ware County High School.
“I think early in his career, I see him playing on the defensive side of the ball,” said Coach Stevenson. “By the time he becomes a 10th-grader, I see him playing quarterback at the high school level.”
“When he first came to me, he played linebacker then last year as a seventh grader he started for me at quarterback,” said Coach Kevin Stevenson. “He is a very versatile young man. He can play on both sides of the ball and he is good at both sides, too.”
Favorites:
Snack – Life Saver Gummies
Food – Chicken
Hobby – Video games (when I’m not playing sports)
Pro Team – New England Patriots
College Team – Clemson
Pro Player – Tom Brady
TV Show – ESPN/SportsCenter
School Subject – Language Arts
Pets – Don’t have any, but if I did , it would be a German Shephard
Place to Travel – New York
Car – Range Rover
Who Inspires You and Why –
Coach Joey Fitzgerald. He pushes me to work hard on and off the field and in the classroom. He talks to me about being a good player, but more importantly being a good man.
SE-RS-0817-Castellanos
RS – Thomas Castellanos
Waycross Middle School
By Rob Asbell
Photography by Jennifer Carter Johnson
Striving To Be The Best
