The Pittsburgh Steelers signed eight undrafted free agents after the conclusion of the NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, earlier this month.
Among the names are notables such as South Dakota tight end J.J. Galbreath, Indiana wideout Ke'Shawn Williams and BYU defensive tackle Blake Mangleson. But perhaps the most notable name is safety Sebastian Castro from Iowa.
Castro started 32 games in 53 appearances, posting 163 tackles with 113 solo and 14 for loss. He added 18 passes defended, five forced fumbles, four interceptions and two sacks.
As the former Hawkeye adjusts to life in the NFL, he discussed his experience at rookie minicamp in his first professional offseason.
"Getting adjusted to the playbook, even though we didn’t run that many plays during rookie mini-camp, just trying to be urgent and learn as much as you can," Castro said via the team's website. "Understanding that listening is a skill and it’s different in the NFL. You have to learn fast. It was a three-day process and you have to adjust quickly. I remember my first day just thinking, ‘This is my first practice as an NFL player.’ So that was incredibly humbling just looking back over the years. Everything I worked for got me here."
Castro then elaborated on what the team and the fans get him as a football player.
"A competitor," Castro continued. "I’m not a guy who likes the attention or talks a lot, but I love the game. I love playing against the best competition, and we’re playing for a championship."