NFL Draft Snapshot: FB Tim Castille

When the Crimson Tide needed those tough yards on third-down or at the goal-line, it was Tim Castille who went out to get the job done, scoring 21 career touchdowns for Alabama. Is he the next Zack Crockett? Learn more about him and how he could help your favorite team...

Tim Castille
FB, Alabama

Numbers: 5'11, 234 pounds

2006 Stats: 6 Rushing TDs, 46-133 rushing, 15-91 receiving

Career Stats: 21 rushing TDs, 161-533 rushing, 60-380 receiving

The Buzz: The short-yardage and goal-line workhorse for the Crimson Tide, getting just 161 carries -- but scoring 21 touchdowns ... Makes smart choices and uses good vision to see where the inside blocking lanes are opening ... Has good hands and finds good spots in zone coverage to provide outlet pass opportunities for his quarterback ... NFLDraftScout.com compares him to the Raiders' Zack Crockett and believes he can play a similar role for an NFL team ... Great team player willing to take on whatever role helps the team ... Tough to bring down on the first hit  ... "A do-it-all player for the Tide." -- TideSports.com ... 

Tim Castille dives for a score against Oklahoma State (AP Photo)

Noteworthy: Son of former Buccaneers and Broncos cornerback Jeremiah Castille, who also played for Alabama ... His brother, Simeon, was a teammate and cornerback, and the pair became the first brothers at Alabama to score a touchdown in the same game since 1987 ... Started as a fullback as a true freshman and sophomore, but missed the last four games of the 2004 season when a blindside tackle resulted in a torn ACL and LCL in his right knee. Was inserted into the short-yardage specialist role his junior and senior year and only missed one game due to an ankle sprain in his final two seasons ... Was awarded the Derrick Thomas Community Service Award in 2005.

Tim Castille Q&A Preview:
(Watch for our NFL Draft Q&A feature with Tim Castille exclusively at Scout.com this week!)

Ed Thompson: I think you've really had an interesting and unique college career. 161 carries, but 21 of them touchdowns. That's a touchdown about every 7.7 carries. How have you become so effective down at the goal line?
 
Tim Castille: Really, the position that Coach Shula put me in, they told me I was going to be the short-yardage goal line guy. And I really took it upon myself that this is my job. Anytime I got my hands on the ball, I really made it a point to be productive. I think that is what really helped me be more effective in scoring touchdowns and picking up the yardage when I needed to do it.

ET: Is that primarily how you see yourself contributing (short-yardage) at the pro level, Tim?

TC: I believe that's what they will have me doing, being that short-yardage guy. But my hands are probably one of my best assets. I can come out of the backfield in third-down situations. That's really what I would like to do at the next level. I'm just waiting now to see. I will do whatever they tell me to.

ET: I notice that you recovered an onside kick your senior year. Talk a little bit about your special teams experience because that's an area where a rookie can come in and contribute right away to an NFL club.

TC: They really didn't have me on a lot of special teams when I first got there because I was a starter. My last year, they put me on the kickoff return team and they put me on the punt team just because I think they needed a little more speed. I really enjoyed the punt teams because I was able to run down and tackle guys and get in the mix. I knew I was going to have to do it at the next level, so when the opportunity came, I really wanted to do a good job.

To learn more about Tim Castille, visit his profile page at Scout.com.

A member of the Professional Football Writers of America, Ed Thompson's NFL and college football player interviews and features have been published across the Scout.com network and syndicated through FoxSports.com's NFL team pages.