Juan Castillo was Andy Reid's friend and colleague of 15 years before being fired Tuesday. The former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator stayed loyal to the bitter end.
"The thing that hurts is that I let down coach Reid, I let down the organization, I let down the city," Castillo told Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, via the Philadelphia Daily News. "I didn't get it done."
This is life in the NFL. You get axed after working your brains off. Your defense is far superior to the team's offense, but you take the fall. And you feel bad about it.
Castillo said he didn't feel like a scapegoat.
"I would like to thank Andy and Mr. (Eagles chairman Jeffrey) Lurie for the opportunity that they gave me," Castillo told the Daily News. "And thank my players for playing harder than anybody else in the NFL."
Said Reid: "(Castillo) understands the business. Thank goodness he understands it. He knows that he's going to be all right. This isn't the end of his road or anything."
Reid understands the business, too. He needs to make the playoffs or he'll wind up looking for a job with Castillo.
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