Thiel College Athletics

A four-year letter winner as a defensive back, John Castaldo was a member of Thiel’s first PAC championship football team in 1967 and was an all-conference selection as a senior in 1969. As a senior, he recorded 26 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. He intercepted three passes as a junior, punted 30 times for 1,069 yards and returned 22 punts for 146 yards. As a sophomore, Castaldo tallied 52 tackles, six of which were behind the line of scrimmage, and three interceptions. In 1967, Castaldo and his defensive back teammates combined for a school-record 21 interceptions. Castaldo was part of the 1969 team, which also recorded 21 interceptions. More than 40 years after his graduation, he still ranks among the all-time leaders in career punt return yards (224) and fourth in punt returns in a single season (22).