Staying the Course
Editor’s Note: James Casey was selected by the Houston Texans in the fifth round (No. 152 overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Coming out of high school, James Casey was a stellar two-sport athlete. The 6’4” Texas native was a stud on both the gridiron and the diamond, giving him the opportunity to pursue either football or baseball at the next level. Few athletes have the luxury of choosing which sport to play after high school; but in Casey’s case, the decision was pretty much made for him.
Factor in a knee injury that cut short his senior football season—plus a family struggling financially—and it’s understandable why Casey took a signing bonus from the Chicago White Sox after they selected him in the seventh round of the 2003 MLB Draft. The right-handed pitcher spent three years in the White Sox organization before retiring in 2006.
Believing he could still play football at an elite level, Casey accepted a scholarship from Rice University. And he was right. After his second season with the Owls, the sure-handed receiver was named First-Team All-Conference USA and ranked second in the nation with 8.7 catches per game and 104 overall; fifth with 1,217 receiving yards; and seventh with 101.4 receiving yards per game.
Understanding that his time in the minor leagues had put him behind the curve regarding his football future, Casey decided to leave Rice early and enter the 2009 NFL Draft.
Casey’s road may not have been the one he wanted to travel, but he’s doing his best to make the most of it. We caught up with him to learn about his high school experience, the transition between baseball and football, what motivates him and much more.
STACK: What was your high school experience like?
James Casey: I played football and baseball and I was doing really well in both of them. Then in my senior year of football, I had to have two scopes on my right knee. I basically missed my entire year of football, and that made my decision to pursue baseball after high school easier. When the White Sox drafted me out of high school, I was excited because it was little bit of money, and I [thought I] should take it because we didn’t have much money growing up.
STACK: Did you miss playing football?
JC: I always loved playing football. But with the knee injury, it kind of forced me to play baseball, because I wasn’t getting looked at by anybody. I always wanted to play, and I had a good high school career when I was healthy.
STACK: How did you end up at Rice after your baseball career?
JC: At the time, I was four or five years removed from playing football, and they aren’t handing out scholarships to people who haven’t played in that long. Rice was the only school that offered me a scholarship, and I went ahead and took it instead of maybe walking on at a bigger school. It was the best decision of my life.
STACK: Why did you decide to go to Rice instead of walking on somewhere else?
JC: If I [had gone] to a bigger school, I probably would have had to wait my turn to play. I got to play a lot of different positions, where at other schools they probably would have wanted me to focus on just one position. The academics were also a factor. Rice is a great institution, and I know once football is over and I finish my degree, I’ll have some doors open for me.
STACK: How did you balance your academics in school?
JC: At Rice, it’s tough because there aren’t any blow-off classes. The school’s tough, and the students you’re competing against are really smart. I was fortunate because I’m married and I came from playing baseball, [which] enabled me to be out in the real world. I was a lot more mature and had goals when I got to college. I think being older and more mature helped me stay the course and not do the socializing other college students do.
STACK: How did you have to adapt your training to play football?
JC: When I was playing baseball with the White Sox, I was working out hard, but it was a different kind of workout. I was trying to stay lean. Once I decided I was going to start playing football, I began hitting the weights really hard and tried to get as big as possible, because I knew they wouldn’t offer a scholarship to someone who didn’t look the part. When I came to Rice, I had the attitude that I was not going to have any regrets about it. I tried to make sure I worked out more than anybody. I worked out as hard as I could, and I gave myself the best opportunity to succeed.
STACK: Is nutrition an important factor in your training?
JC: I think it’s the most important thing about it. If I have a really good workout and I go out and eat something bad, it’s like I wasted the workout. I really try to eat healthy all the time, and I’ve been eating healthy for a long time. I eat the same things over and over again. The guys kind of make fun of me on the football team, because I always eat the same things at lunch, like tuna and eggs and stuff like that. I think nutrition is the most important thing about getting in shape, especially for your physique.
STACK: What did you do to prepare for the Combine?
JC: I went to a facility called PLEX with Danny Arnold. It’s kind of a weird deal, because when you go to the Combine, you know what you’ll be doing. You’ll do the short and long shuttle, run the 40 and perform cone drills. We really worked on those to try to get faster. I felt I did pretty well at the Combine, and since then I’ve just been at Rice working out and getting ready for my pro day. I’ve just been here working out and trying to get bigger, faster and stronger. I’m not doing all the little drills now, because I did them at the Combine. I’ve just been focusing on the 40 and working on my routes and blocking, because that’s all I’ll be doing.
STACK: What’s your motivation to succeed?
JC: I’ve always been motivated on the inside to try to be the best at everything I do. I never had people pushing me along; I’ve always just wanted to be good at stuff. One thing that really motivates me is when people doubt me. I think the biggest thing for me now is making sure I don’t have any regrets. Coming from baseball, I’ve realized how small of a window you have to be successful, especially in professional sports. I want to work as hard as possible to make sure that regardless if I get drafted, or if I get cut or I make the team, I’ll know I gave everything I had.
STACK: What advice would you offer young athletes?
JC: Make sure to stay on top of your schoolwork, because that’s something that will set you free. It’s something you can always fall back on, no matter how good you are at any sport. You’re not going to be able to play forever. I thought I was going to play baseball and go to the major leagues, and it didn’t work out. Luckily, my grades in high school were good, so I was able to get into a school like Rice, and it opened up a lot of doors. As far as football, you have to do more than what the normal person does if you want to be successful and go on to the next level. Hard work does pay off.
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Staying the Course
Editor’s Note: James Casey was selected by the Houston Texans in the fifth round (No. 152 overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft.
Coming out of high school, James Casey was a stellar two-sport athlete. The 6’4” Texas native was a stud on both the gridiron and the diamond, giving him the opportunity to pursue either football or baseball at the next level. Few athletes have the luxury of choosing which sport to play after high school; but in Casey’s case, the decision was pretty much made for him.
Factor in a knee injury that cut short his senior football season—plus a family struggling financially—and it’s understandable why Casey took a signing bonus from the Chicago White Sox after they selected him in the seventh round of the 2003 MLB Draft. The right-handed pitcher spent three years in the White Sox organization before retiring in 2006.
Believing he could still play football at an elite level, Casey accepted a scholarship from Rice University. And he was right. After his second season with the Owls, the sure-handed receiver was named First-Team All-Conference USA and ranked second in the nation with 8.7 catches per game and 104 overall; fifth with 1,217 receiving yards; and seventh with 101.4 receiving yards per game.
Understanding that his time in the minor leagues had put him behind the curve regarding his football future, Casey decided to leave Rice early and enter the 2009 NFL Draft.
Casey’s road may not have been the one he wanted to travel, but he’s doing his best to make the most of it. We caught up with him to learn about his high school experience, the transition between baseball and football, what motivates him and much more.
STACK: What was your high school experience like?
James Casey: I played football and baseball and I was doing really well in both of them. Then in my senior year of football, I had to have two scopes on my right knee. I basically missed my entire year of football, and that made my decision to pursue baseball after high school easier. When the White Sox drafted me out of high school, I was excited because it was little bit of money, and I [thought I] should take it because we didn’t have much money growing up.
STACK: Did you miss playing football?
JC: I always loved playing football. But with the knee injury, it kind of forced me to play baseball, because I wasn’t getting looked at by anybody. I always wanted to play, and I had a good high school career when I was healthy.
STACK: How did you end up at Rice after your baseball career?
JC: At the time, I was four or five years removed from playing football, and they aren’t handing out scholarships to people who haven’t played in that long. Rice was the only school that offered me a scholarship, and I went ahead and took it instead of maybe walking on at a bigger school. It was the best decision of my life.
STACK: Why did you decide to go to Rice instead of walking on somewhere else?
JC: If I [had gone] to a bigger school, I probably would have had to wait my turn to play. I got to play a lot of different positions, where at other schools they probably would have wanted me to focus on just one position. The academics were also a factor. Rice is a great institution, and I know once football is over and I finish my degree, I’ll have some doors open for me.
STACK: How did you balance your academics in school?
JC: At Rice, it’s tough because there aren’t any blow-off classes. The school’s tough, and the students you’re competing against are really smart. I was fortunate because I’m married and I came from playing baseball, [which] enabled me to be out in the real world. I was a lot more mature and had goals when I got to college. I think being older and more mature helped me stay the course and not do the socializing other college students do.
STACK: How did you have to adapt your training to play football?
JC: When I was playing baseball with the White Sox, I was working out hard, but it was a different kind of workout. I was trying to stay lean. Once I decided I was going to start playing football, I began hitting the weights really hard and tried to get as big as possible, because I knew they wouldn’t offer a scholarship to someone who didn’t look the part. When I came to Rice, I had the attitude that I was not going to have any regrets about it. I tried to make sure I worked out more than anybody. I worked out as hard as I could, and I gave myself the best opportunity to succeed.
STACK: Is nutrition an important factor in your training?
JC: I think it’s the most important thing about it. If I have a really good workout and I go out and eat something bad, it’s like I wasted the workout. I really try to eat healthy all the time, and I’ve been eating healthy for a long time. I eat the same things over and over again. The guys kind of make fun of me on the football team, because I always eat the same things at lunch, like tuna and eggs and stuff like that. I think nutrition is the most important thing about getting in shape, especially for your physique.
STACK: What did you do to prepare for the Combine?
JC: I went to a facility called PLEX with Danny Arnold. It’s kind of a weird deal, because when you go to the Combine, you know what you’ll be doing. You’ll do the short and long shuttle, run the 40 and perform cone drills. We really worked on those to try to get faster. I felt I did pretty well at the Combine, and since then I’ve just been at Rice working out and getting ready for my pro day. I’ve just been here working out and trying to get bigger, faster and stronger. I’m not doing all the little drills now, because I did them at the Combine. I’ve just been focusing on the 40 and working on my routes and blocking, because that’s all I’ll be doing.
STACK: What’s your motivation to succeed?
JC: I’ve always been motivated on the inside to try to be the best at everything I do. I never had people pushing me along; I’ve always just wanted to be good at stuff. One thing that really motivates me is when people doubt me. I think the biggest thing for me now is making sure I don’t have any regrets. Coming from baseball, I’ve realized how small of a window you have to be successful, especially in professional sports. I want to work as hard as possible to make sure that regardless if I get drafted, or if I get cut or I make the team, I’ll know I gave everything I had.
STACK: What advice would you offer young athletes?
JC: Make sure to stay on top of your schoolwork, because that’s something that will set you free. It’s something you can always fall back on, no matter how good you are at any sport. You’re not going to be able to play forever. I thought I was going to play baseball and go to the major leagues, and it didn’t work out. Luckily, my grades in high school were good, so I was able to get into a school like Rice, and it opened up a lot of doors. As far as football, you have to do more than what the normal person does if you want to be successful and go on to the next level. Hard work does pay off.