Pioneer Standout Wide Receiver Turns Heads at NFL Pro Day at Brown University

If you’ve been to a Pioneer football game in the last two years, chances are you’ve been dazzled by the play of Wide Receiver Joshua Castro. Castro came to the team in 2024 after playing several seasons at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and immediately solidified himself as a deep threat on the outside as well as a punter with a trebuchet for a leg.

After last Pioneer season, Castro transferred to Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts. There, he was selected to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America First Team for Special Teams for the 2025 Season. The graduate student punter-wide receiver combo continued to earn postseason recognition as Castro has put together a breakout stint in which he earned two postseason citations from the NEWMAC, All-Conference First Team as a punter and Second Team as a wide receiver, marking the first all-conference accolades of his career. During the 2025 season at WPI, Castro booted an impressive 94 yard punt for the Engineers.

This week, Pioneer coaches learned Castro had an opportunity at a pro day at Brown University where he showcased his skills as both a punter and receiver for NFL scouts representing the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans.

Castro is not just a standout athlete. In the classroom, Castro has exceled as a computer science Ph.D. student, carrying a perfect 4.00 graduate GPA.

”[Castro’s] a guy who is an asset to any program on the field. He is a fantastic teammate and is ready to do what it takes to win. He’s a competitor,” says Pioneer Receivers Coach Jake Potter of Castro.

When asked about Castro, Pioneer Head Coach Damien Rochon-Washington did not mince words. “He is a phenomenal person who consistently puts in the work; he deserves every opportunity, like his recent NFL look. I'm proud of him for a variety of reasons; this just happens to be one of them. A primary goal of the Pioneers is to provide opportunities and ensure real development both on and off the field. I'm glad we could provide that platform and support that helped him achieve his goals in any way, shape, or form.”