New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - New Orleans Saints Q&A: linebacker Jonathan Casillas

Jonathan Casillas is an outside linebacker in his second year with the New Orleans Saints. He played in 11 games last season with two starts and made 20 tackles. He signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2009. With the departure of Scott Fujita, he will compete for playing time at strongside linebacker. He spoke recently with staff writer Robert Stewart.

Jonathan Casillas
PLAYER: Jonathan Casillas
POSITION: Linebacker
AGE: 23
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-1, 227
COLLEGE: Wisconsin
NFL EXPERIENCE: 2 years

10 QUESTIONS WITH JONATHAN CASILLAS

Who's the one figure in football you admire the most?
I would have to say Brian Dawkins and Ray Lewis. Just the level of intensity, the physicality that they bring to a game. Every game I've watched those guys play in, when their team needs a big play they always step up at that time."

Any pre-game superstitions?
"Superstitions no, but I have rituals that I do. There's this one ritual I've done since I was in high school. I've always done 50 pushups before every game. I just kind of kept that going. At first when I was a freshman in high school, the first year I played, I did it so my arms would look big when I'd go out there. But then it was an every-day every-game thing, so I kept it going in college and I kept it going in the league as well."

Who was your favorite coach, high school or college?
"Me and my high school coach, we became really close. Coach John Quinn. I still speak with him every now and then. We've developed a really good relationship."

Who's your favorite musical artist?
"I'm really like a versatile guy. I'm a big hip-hop, R&B and rap guy. A lot of East Coast guys, Jay-Z, Jadakiss, a lot of East Coast guys. Straight East Coast."

What's your favorite pre-game meal?
"It's just however I feel that morning. There's no certain thing that I eat every single game. I like to get carbs and pasta in me, but that's about it."

What is your best football memory?
"I can't go against the Super Bowl. Winning that, the parade afterward, and just the whole movement since we won the NFC championship, to the parade, still now it feels like I'm living in la-la land a little bit. That was great. That was big. We will always remember that."

Who is your biggest fan?
"My father, I would say. He's very supportive. His name is Flash, and everybody knows his name is Flash. You can't call him Eric. You can't do that anymore. When I come home, he lives in Jersey City, N.J., and he got my little card from college and stuff he made up on his own, photocopied, that's got my name on it. He put it in like liquor stores and different stores, grocery stores, so when I go in there, they'll be like, 'Is that you?' And I'm like, 'I guess. Flash might have stopped by here and dropped that off.' He's very supportive of me, and I guess kind of living through me a little bit, which I don't mind. He's good to have in my corner, too."

If you weren't playing football what career would you pursue?
"Well my dad's a big basketball guy. I didn't start playing football until my freshman year. Before that, it was all basketball for me. So I'd probably be somewhere playing basketball. Hopefully."

What other position would you like to play?
"Believe it or not, I love playing offense. I played receiver in high school. I wasn't that bad at it. I was pretty athletic. But I was learning just like I was learning linebacker then. I think I'd be able to play somewhere on the offensive side like receiver, or maybe even safety. I was about 200 pounds in high school, playing receiver, tight end, a little bit of running back, wide receiver, d-end, I was all over."

What's your favorite sport other than football?
"I would say basketball. Favorite sport to watch probably, though, besides basketball in the playoffs, is boxing. I just love the sport. I love the technique. I love the art of the game. I think (Floyd) Mayweather is just an incredible competitor. I watch him a lot. I watch a lot of old-school guys -- Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, I watch all those guys as much as I can. You can't really beat a clean punch that's timed correctly and precise. I like it a lot."