NEW YORK (AP) — Sergio Castillo had the identical dream a couple of instances yearly since sixth grade.

The New York Jets kicker is on the sector at a stadium when he seems into the stands and sees his mom and future girlfriend within the stands cheering him on.

Castillo by no means instructed anybody about his repeated visions till he wrote two letters whereas flying to Kansas Metropolis for his second NFL sport to play the Chiefs on Nov. 1.

One was to his mom, Maria Guadalupe Cáceres, and the opposite to his fiancée, Adriana Cavazos-Loya, who’s anticipating the couple’s first youngster in January.

“The factor is, my girl was additionally pregnant in that dream,” Castillo mentioned in a phone interview. “I used to be like, what are the probabilities of that? After I wrote to them, my second dream was coming true. The primary one is the NFL and the second is that dream and so they had been going to observe me play in Kansas Metropolis. They had been like, how come you by no means instructed us that? I instructed them I wished to reserve it for a particular second when it really occurred.”

And, there he was — on his 30th birthday, in addition — kicking three area objectives as his dream performed out in entrance of his mom and fiancée.

“It’s simply loopy,” Castillo mentioned, “how God works in His mysterious methods.”

Castillo made his NFL debut the week earlier than towards Buffalo, filling in for the injured Sam Ficken. As he walked off the sector after his first kick, a 29-yard area purpose, he might barely management his feelings.

“I teared up a bit as a result of I began reminiscing in regards to the six years it took me to get right here, you understand?” Castillo mentioned.

Castillo’s lengthy, winding NFL journey started in tiny La Joya, Texas, the place he was raised by “my 4 sturdy girls” — his mom, grandmother and two aunts. The primary-generation Mexican American went from the soccer and soccer fields within the Rio Grande Valley to Division II West Texas A&M, the one college to supply him a scholarship.

However, he almost walked away.

“I had by no means been round white individuals,” he mentioned. “I had by no means been round Black individuals. It was only a tradition shock. I assume it was the primary time I confronted slightly little bit of discrimination, racism. And I instructed my mother, I’m dropping out, I’m quitting.”

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Castillo bought a stern talking-to from considered one of his childhood coaches — after which from his mom.

“She was like, ’In case you come house, you’ll not have a house,’” he recalled. “She mentioned, ‘You mentioned you had been going to play ball. Now be a person and end what you mentioned what you had been going to do.’”

Castillo, considered one of few Mexican People to play within the NFL, has been engaged on that ever since.

“After I signed that letter of intent to play soccer in school, I used to be not simply signing for me,” he mentioned. “Sure, I’m residing my dream, however I wished to pave the best way for the longer term generations, the longer term Mexican People that wish to pursue this dream. I couldn’t simply give up then and there, you understand?

“It jogged my memory of why I used to be doing it.”

He went undrafted in 2014 out of West Texas A&M, however bought a glance from the Atlanta Falcons — who already had Matt Bryant. Unable to beat out the veteran, Castillo was lower throughout coaching camp. So, he headed to San Antonio on the urging of a former coach and labored at Southside Excessive College as a trainer’s aide and assistant coach.

He took the identical bus to work each day: the No. 522 route that picked him up at 4:22 a.m. on the nook of Babcock and Wurzbach for the 1-hour, 24-minute commute. It was throughout these rides that his driver — Mr. Fulton — inspired him to arrange a “imaginative and prescient board” to focus his objectives.

Castillo’s imaginative and prescient board features a image of a cross within the center. Within the 4 corners are: an image of two wedding ceremony rings and a cartoon with a number of individuals at a desk that he titled “Castillo Household Reunion” to symbolize the household he hopes to have; an image of himself and Bryant; the phrases “Principal Castillo” for his post-football aspirations; and inspirational quotes from the likes of Eric Thomas, Gary Vaynerchuk, Les Brown and Tony Robbins.

“Daily once I wakened and the very last thing I noticed earlier than I went to mattress was that imaginative and prescient board,” Castillo mentioned. “It jogged my memory of the place I used to be going to go so I stored feeding my thoughts.”

He used it for motivation all through his numerous stops within the CFL, XFL and Alliance of American Soccer. He wanted all of it eight instances he was lower. Castillo used it once more whereas recovering from a torn ACL in 2017 that just about derailed his profession.

When the CFL canceled its season in August due to the coronavirus pandemic, Castillo was confronted with a troublesome choice: stick along with his contract with the BC Lions with some wage and well being advantages, or choose out and attempt to pursue the NFL once more.

Castillo was sure his fiancée would inform him to remain put, particularly with a child on the best way. As an alternative, Cavazos-Loya shocked him.

“She mentioned: ‘You’re going to chase this dream,’” Castillo recalled. ”‘After I met you Four half years in the past, you mentioned you had been going to make it to the NFL. That is your likelihood.’

“That gave me the entire confidence on the planet to pursue this.”

Castillo labored out for the Jets earlier this season and his capability to kick area objectives and punt impressed particular groups coordinator Brant Boyer. Signed to the observe squad in October, Castillo was promoted to the energetic roster 10 days later when Ficken injured his groin. He went 6 for 7 on area objectives — with the one miss a block — and Four for Four on additional factors in three video games.

Ficken returned final Sunday, however missed two additional factors and was positioned on injured reserve. So, Castillo’s NFL dream continues Sunday towards Miami.

“It’s nonetheless slightly surreal that I’m right here,” Castillo mentioned. “Folks have requested me how I’m feeling. I’m simply very grateful for the chance. The trail that it took me to get right here, six years, I wouldn’t wish to change something about it.”

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