A Division I athlete on a college campus doesn't have to do or say a whole lot to be considered down-to-earth. He has to nod indiscriminately to fans as he passes, dole out verbal salutations with liberty and award a select but sizable few a high-, low-, or medium-five if and whenever possible.
And these are an athlete's criteria for being considered accessible; rarely is there an effort to detect kindness or actual humility—all he needs is feigned enthusiasm at the sight of an admirer and a habit of being generous with his acknowledgements.
Sophomore linebacker Jonathan Casillas is no more or less likely to do these things on his way up Bascom or across the university, but he certainly concerns himself with a higher standard of accessibility; when asked about himself, or anything, for that matter, his insight is effortless but helpful. And his openness has no apparent bounds. ""Well, what do you want to know?""
First, let's start with what we do know about Jonathan Casillas. He is the Charles Barkley look alike who sports a now-trademark Mohawk and shaves various lines into the sides of his head that contribute to his hairstyle's reckless symmetry. He is the former owner of the forgettable No. 46, who graduated to the flashier, more celebrated No. 2 jersey. He is the gregarious New Brunswick, NJ native who Rutgers regrettably passed on, and former high school teammate of USC receiver Duane Jarrett.
Oh, right: He also has a pretty big punt block to his credit—it made the headlines and everything.
On the heels of a valiant—but to that point insufficient—14-point rally in the final minutes against Minnesota, Casillas flew through the left side of Wisconsin's formation and batted Justin Kucek's tardy punt into the ground, causing it to bounce fortuitously into the endzone to be recovered by Wisconsin for a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining. A 21-point comeback in just over 11 minutes against rival Minnesota was complete. And, in part, the Badgers had Casillas' motor to thank for it.
The most exciting, improbable, and—considering it secured the Axe—meaningful win of the season had come at the well-placed hands of a freshman reserve linebacker. But, fortunately for Casillas, a game-winning punt block is just about the only play in football that turns no-names into household dorm-room ones. Clearly, Casillas was onto something.
""Blocking the kick at Minnesota, it kind of gave me—well, not kind of—it gave me a lot of confidence,"" Casillas said. ""People started knowing my name, started knowing who I was, and I started settling in.""
""Settling in"" was a welcome alternative to the unsettled feeling he had prior to the play, as he had dealt with injury early in the season and was being passed back and forth by the coaching staff between positions at linebacker and safety. But the benefit of making such a big play was that coaches had to make a decision about where he could make the most impact on the field, and keep him there. He had successfully made himself indispensable, and the decision was made: He was a linebacker from there on out.
""I wasn't sure of my place and didn't know my position,"" Casillas explained. ""But the block made me feel at home. I felt good from then on, I started playing better ball, and linebacker felt comfortable to me and felt like what I should be doing.""
""Since high school I just wanted to make plays,"" Casillas said. ""Hitting people on defense, catching the ball on offense, just doing the best I can when I'm on the field. The same goes for special teams.""
Just two weeks later, Casillas blocked another punt against Illinois, and suddenly it became less likely that he had simply been in the right place at the right time against Minnesota. He was making the most of a modest role on special teams, and coming into his own at the college level, earning a reputation as a playmaker.
After the Illinois game, then-defensive coordinator, now Wisconsin head coach, Bret Bielema said, ""He's a guy who throughout his entire athletic career is someone who has been able to make a big play.""
While at the time, Bielema certainly thought highly of the true freshman and his two career punt blocks, Casillas has only improved, both on special teams and at linebacker since he won the starting job.
In the 2006 opener against Bowling Green, the special teams savant struck again, blocking the third punt of his career, this time recovering the ball himself for a touchdown that would give the Badgers their first lead of the young season. But 2006 hasn't been just periodic flashes of brilliance and game-changing plays. As a starting linebacker, Casillas has been asked to be consistent, embracing a cerebral approach to patrolling the field—things not required of him on special teams, where he relies on bursts of strength, speed, and what he calls just plain luck to get to the defenseless punter.
""I want to be known at least as a great linebacker that played at the University of Wisconsin,"" Casillas said. ""I'm starting as a sophomore, so hopefully I got two more years to start, and get my name out there on the defensive side of the ball, not just for blocking punts.""
His image grows more distinct and unmistakable by the day, and his play seems to improve every week. He has recorded 27 solo tackles, which is tied for second best on the team, and has made 41 total tackles, which is good for third.
And all of his success is a result of the punt block, which served as his introduction—and endearment—to Wisconsin fans and coaches. As he burst through blockers, he burst through obscurity, stating with his on-field performance and off-the-field swagger, ""If you don't know, now you know.""
But no matter what he is willing to say about his talent on the field, or about himself in conversation, even he can't answer the most intriguing question of all: ""How good can Jonathan Casillas be?"" As a linebacker, the sky is the limit, but as a special-teamer, improvement doesn't seem likely, considering there isn't much else he can accomplish—unless, of course, he intends on fielding and returning punts, or at the very least, intercepting a snap.
