Key Takeaways
- The Castellanos surname signifies his father’s Spanish heritage.
- His father passed away when Thomas was three years old.
- Growing up with ten siblings, his mother worked as an Office Assistant at Nurse-Family Partnership.
Thomas Castellanos, the quarterback for the Boston College Eagles, has a mixed ethnic background with African, Spanish, Scottish, and Irish roots through his parents.
Thomas Castellanos Jr., born in 2003, is the son of his father, Thomas Castellanos Sr., and his mother, Yukia Harris, who have diverse ethnic backgrounds.
His mother, Yukia Harris, was born in Miami, Florida. Her maiden name is McCullough, which signifies her Irish and Scottish roots.
His last name, Castellanos, which comes from his father, is a traditional Spanish name, implying Spanish heritage.
Thus, Thomas, a native of Waycross, Georgia, U.S., belongs to a mixed ethnicity.
He was named after his father, Thomas Castellanos, also known as Dirt. His father passed away in 2006 when he was just three years old.
Following his father’s passing, he relocated to South Georgia with his family.
Professionally, his mother serves as an Office Assistant at Nurse-Family Partnership and pursued nursing studies at Miami Dade College-Wolfson Campus.
His mother, Yukia, worked long hours to ensure her children had everything they needed. Despite the emotional and financial challenges, she ensured they always had food. Thomas said:
I’m very thankful for her. She’s the reason I am who I am today.
Thomas looked up to his older brother as a father figure despite his father’s absence. He spent his formative years with his ten siblings.
Castellanos has shown a strong interest in football from an early age, with his brother Akeem Jones guiding and supporting his passion. His life took a significant turn after his brother’s death. He stated:
He was like the head of the snake. It’s almost like the head getting chopped off when he passed away. It weakened me. Mentally, I was confused, and I was lost.
He said that following his brother Jones’s departure, he even thought about stepping away from football. Nonetheless, he remembered the encouragement his brother had provided.
Thomas recalled their 2:30 a.m. phone conversation, during which Jones always believed in his path. Jones played quarterback for Garden City Community College in Kansas for a short period.
While pursuing his career, he is surrounded by the support of his nine siblings.
Thomas Castellanos’s Career Highlights As Quarterback
As the quarterback for Ware County High School in his junior year, he led his team to a 10–2 record, throwing for 2,881 yards and 23 touchdowns and adding 939 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns.
In his senior year, he passed for 2,613 yards and 25 touchdowns while also rushing for 968 yards and 13 scores.
He accumulated 7,710 passing yards and 3,681 rushing yards before committing to play college football for the UCF Knights.
As a true freshman with the UCF Knights in 2022, he entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season and later transferred to Boston College.
In his first start as the full-time starting quarterback, he led Boston College to a 31–28 victory over Holy Cross, completing 17 of 23 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 69 yards on 16 carries.
He ended the 2023 FBS football season as the second-leading rushing quarterback, just behind LSU’s Jayden Daniels.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Thomas stands at the perfect height of 1.78 m or 5 ft 10 in.
- Of his 10 siblings, two are named Ladedric Castellanos, while another is Jones Castellanos.
