Steelers Throwback Thursday: Looking back on David Decastro’s time in Pittsburgh
Before the NFL officially gears up for the 2021-22 season, Steel City Underground will be taking fans back in time to feature events, special moments, and historical times in the world of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Steelers Nation. Join us as we revisit these moments in our “Throwback Thursdays”.
For many of us, the sudden release of six-time Pro Bowl guard, David DeCastro, was surprising. He will be missed in Pittsburgh, but here is a recap of his time in Black and Gold.
Originally, DeCastro was born in Kirkland, Washington, and went to Bellevue High School. As he was finding a potential college to play football at, he was rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 11 center in the class of 2008. After getting offers from Washington, Washington State, and Oregon State, DeCastro chose Stanford University.
DeCastro did not play his freshman season and was a redshirt freshman in 2009. He started all 13 games as a redshirt freshman at the position of right guard. In his first season playing on the field, his accolades include honorable mention All-Pac-10 and first-team freshman All-American by College Football News. As a redshirt sophomore, David was named as a first-team All-Pac-10 and a unanimous first-team All-American. After his third season of playing, DeCastro decided to forgo his final season of eligibility and enter into the NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted David DeCastro with the 24th overall pick in the 2012 NF Draft. He was the first offensive guard taken by the Steelers in the first round since 2002 where they drafted Kendall Simmons.
After 2012, DeCastro played the majority of games until this past year, missing one game in 2013 and 2017, two games in 2018, then the injury in 2020 that it is speculated to have him get released from the Steelers. After 2012, he averaged over 1,000 snaps per season, with a high of 1,111 snaps in 2014. He played 100% of snaps from 2014-2016 and 2019. If you take out 2016, DeCastro averaged fewer than 4 penalties per season. In his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he only had 37 total penalties, including in 2016 where he had 12 total penalties in one season.
David DeCastro is a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All-Pro. He was named to the NFL Top 100 in 2017 at No. 97 and in 2018 at No. 44. Pro Football Weekly named him to their first-team all-conference in 2015 and 2017. The Associated Press had him in their first-team all-pro in 2015 and 2017, and second-team in 2016.
