DONNA — There may not be a better nickname in Rio Grande Valley football than Donna North’s Jose “Big House” Casas.
Standing at 6 feet tall, his last name, which translates to “houses” in Spanish, earned him the nickname “Big House” while a freshman at Donna North, and the moniker fit Casas perfectly as an offensive lineman who protected Chiefs’ quarterbacks and running backs.
Tuesday, Casas signed a national letter of intent to take his game and nickname to the next level at Saint Vincent College, an NCAA Division III school in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
“There’s a lot of emotion. I didn’t think I would be experiencing this in my whole life,” Casas said after hosting a small signing at his home. “Throughout the years, players and coaches came around and showed that they cared, and now I’m ready to go play college ball.”
As a guard on Donna North’s offensive line, “Big House” describes his style of play as “aggressiveness with swag.”
Casas knew early on in his high school career that he could play football at a high level.
During a game against Port Isabel his sophomore season, Donna North coaches called a G-T, a run play which features the guard and tackle from one side of the offensive line pulling to the opposite side to create space for a running back. As the guard, Casas spearheaded the G-T, searched for a defender to kick out and blew him up, allowing his running back to bust loose for a big gain.
“It felt awesome; it was something I never felt before. It was a pulling play, it was my play to show what I got and I took the guy down,” Casas said. “From there, I knew what I could do.”
Casas thanked former Donna North head coach Joe Marichalar and current assistant coach Gerardo Alejandro Jr. for all their support.
“Without him pushing me, without him being on me the whole time, I wouldn’t be who I am today,” Casas said.
While Donna North hasn’t won much on the football field the past few seasons, Casas said it wasn’t about the results, but about the lessons learned from playing the game.
“It’s taught me to be tough and never back down from anybody. It taught me to be strong, no matter what,” he said. “It was about creating bonds that will be with us the rest of my life.”
Now, Casas is headed to Saint Vincent College, a private liberal arts college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, founded in 1846. Saint Vincent is an NCAA DIII school which competes in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.
“I’m looking forward to having a good time over there, but on the field, I’m ready to show what I got and prove myself out there,” he said.
Casas plans on studying education at Saint Vincent with hopes of becoming a teacher and football coach and returning to the Rio Grande Valley.