David Castillo considers himself a superfan when it comes to cheering on his Houston Texans. A former Oilers fan who's been a Texans season ticket-holder since the franchise's inception, Castillo says he felt something in the air this season that suggested things were going to go differently.
"There have been three or four seasons when we've really almost been there — almost made it to the next level and just haven't been able to get there," Castillo tells CultureMap. "This season, going through training camp with (defensive coordinator) Wade Phillips coming in, it felt like everything was coming into place."
"Just as much as we feed off of the players, I think they really feed off the true fans," Castillo says.
Ever the dedicated supporter, Castillo decided to make a statement in support of his team. "I told my wife, 'I need to do something to give some good mojo to the Texans. I'm not gonna shave this season,' and she said, 'Think of something else.' "
Despite his wife's objections, Castillo hasn't shaved once during the Texans 2011 season, which started back on Sept. 11. As a print coordinator at the Houston Chronicle, his beard is no issue as long as he keeps it trim, and his friends and coworkers have been as supportive as they've been amused.
Although he initially planned on growing his beard only until the Texans clenched the division, as the season progressed successfully through a slew of illnesses and injuries, Castillo decided to keep the mojo running through the playoffs (which start with a Saturday afternoon game at Reliant Stadium) and, hopefully, all the way to the Super Bowl.
"Just as much as we feed off of the players, I think they really feed off the true fans," Castillo says.
You can follow the progress of Castillo's playoff beard on his Twitter feed.
David Castillo and his beard are playoff ready.
