Behind the Steel Curtain
The new Steelers safety joined Behind The Steel Curtain for a sit down.
The Pittsburgh Steelers added several undrafted free agents following the 2025 NFL Draft, the most notable of which was Iowa safety Sebastian Castro. The former All-American and All-Big Ten selection joined Behind The Steel Curtain for a sit-down to discuss his journey from Oak Lawn, Illinois, to Iowa, and ultimately landing with the Steelers.
Q: You grew up in the Midwest, right?
A: Yeah, I grew up in Oak Lawn in Illinois. A little bit outside of Chicago. I actually went to the same high school that Dwyane Wade went to. So they have some history of athletes and whatnot. They took their sports seriously at the high school I went to, but I started playing sports when I was a little kid. I played all the sports. Basketball, football, soccer, whatever it was, or sometimes you would find some roller blades and play roller hockey, whatever we could find, that’s how I kind of grew up playing sports and whatnot. And really,y it was because my older brother, I had one older brother that I would just follow around. He’s got four years on me. So I would just follow him around and do whatever he did. I grew up with my grandparents and my mom as well. I had five aunts in the house. So it was a busy house. Oak Lawn was unique because the people were very diverse. Different races and backgrounds. It’s kind of like a locker room. There are a lot of personalities, people from different backgrounds.
Q: When did football become the main focus in terms of sports?
A: I wouldn’t even say I chose it because I was better at football. I loved basketball, too. That’s why I was stuck for a second because I loved playing basketball, but I knew growing up I wasn’t very tall, I wasn’t going to get very tall. So even though I wanted to be an NBA player at one time, I knew football was the best route for me.
Q: When did you get your first offer?
A: My sophomore year in high school. It was to Syracuse. I remember when I got the offer and then it became a thing where the confidence went up.
Q: What made Iowa stand out among every other school?
A: Iowa stuck out because it felt familiar. I grew up in a very traditional house, and I felt from Iowa’s standpoint, they had a lot of stability. Coach Ferrance had been there for 20+ years when I got my offer, the defensive coordinator had been there a long time. There was just a lot of stability. Tradition and stability. And they’ve proven time and time again that kids that go to Iowa become professionals. Not just in the NFL sense, but helping boys become men. And I made the decision to go there pretty early on in my junior year.
**Q: What does the success...
