Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo, only the second Dominican player to be drafted and start in the National Football League, has become an international superstar. In March, he was one of three NFL players invited to spend a week visiting with U.S. troops stationed at military bases throughout the Persian Gulf. Castillo, Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris, Carolina Panthers defensive end Mike Rucker and Sports Illustrated’s Peter King visited military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. Castillo kept an internet blog of his travels on Chargers.com and NFL.com. Following the tour, Castillo spent some additional time abroad, visiting Egypt and Greece.

The trip overseas was a much-needed distraction for Castillo, who for the second year in a row battled through an injury-marred season. In a Nov. 4 game at Minnesota, Castillo rolled an ankle and ended up missing six games. Almost exactly a year earlier on Nov. 5, 2006, he rolled an ankle in Kansas City that cost him four games of that season. Castillo fought back this season as he did in ’06 and collected a sack in a Monday Night Football game against Denver upon his return. He finished the year strong and had a solid postseason, leading the team with two sacks.

Castillo is fluent in Spanish. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved to the Dominican Republic with his mother, Maria, when he was a child. They returned to the States when he was 5, and the family settled in New Jersey. Luis returns to the Dominican Republic every offseason where he is revered as a national icon. During his trips to the Dominican, Castillo hosts a youth football clinic and does many community appearances. In 2005, he was honored with the Youth of the Year Award for excellence outside of the Dominican Republic.

Castillo has also emerged as a community leader in San Diego. Last December he hosted “Shop with a Charger” for abused and neglected children, some of whom were homeless as well. Each child who participated in the event enjoyed dinner with Luis and his teammates and received a Holiday Gift Card from WalMart. And last November, Castillo surprised San Diego resident Dave Buckles with tickets to a game after Buckles, the golf superintendent at an area resort, and some of his co-workers helped save more than a half-dozen homes from the wildfires that ravaged San DiegoCounty in October. Castillo, who resides in Poway, was among more than 50 Chargers’ players and staff that were forced to evacuate their homes because of the fires.

Luis’ mother is his inspiration. She was raised in a small village in the Dominican that had no running water or electricity and few educational opportunities. Today, she runs a multimillion-dollar company in New York that imports hair-care products from her homeland. Someday, Luis hopes that he too can emulate his mom’s success in the business world. In 2007, he returned to his alma mater and enrolled in the NFL’s Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The four-day program focused on developing and selling a brand and evaluating franchise opportunities. He attended the program with teammate Shaun Phillips.

TRANSACTION HISTORY: First-round pick (28) by Chargers, April 23, 2005…signed five-year contract July 27, 2005.

2007: Ended first-quarter drive Oct. 14 vs. Oakland with 10-yard tackle for loss on third-and-32 play…Oct. 28 vs. Houston, shared two-yard tackle for loss in second quarter with Stephen Cooper…then in third quarter, shared one-yard sack with Marques Harris on third-and-six play to force punt…eight-yard sack on final drive of first half Week 8 at Minnesota helped set up missed field goal that Antonio Cromartie would return NFL-record 109 yards for touchdown…would later leave game on opening drive of third quarter with severe ankle injury…inactive for Games 9-14 due to that ankle injury…returned to action Week 15 against Denver on ESPN Monday Night Football Dec. 24 and collected second-quarter sack of Jay Cutler for six-yard loss on third-and-nine play…also helped end fourth-quarter drive with pass defensed on fourth-down play…returned to starting lineup Dec. 30 at Oakland…big performance in AFC Wild Card Playoff win over Tennessee included sack and tackle for loss…stopped LenDale White for three-yard loss in second quarter to help force three-and-out…later helped put game away with fourth-quarter two-yard sack on third-and-14 play…helped force New England turnover with three-yard sack of Tom Brady on opening series of third quarter in AFC Championship Game…sack came on second-and-nine play and on next snap facing third-and-12, Brady was intercepted by Drayton Florence at Chargers’ 44-yard line…Bolts drove for field goal on ensuing possession and cut Patriots’ lead to 14-12.

2006: Second-alternate to AFC Pro Bowl squad…started Weeks 1-8 at defensive end…in Sept. 11 season opener at Oakland, racked up 1.5 sacks and led team with seven total tackles…teamed with Shaun Phillips to sack Aaron Brooks for three-yard loss on third-and-nine play in second quarter…on ensuing drive, Bolts kicked field goal for 13-0 lead…on last play of third quarter, sacked Brooks again for seven-yard loss to help force punt two plays later…Chargers drove 58 yards for touchdown and 20-0 lead on following drive…registered tackle for loss among pair of stops Week 2 vs. Tennessee…collected 1.5 sacks to go along with seven tackles against Pittsburgh in Sunday Night game Oct. 8…shared three-yard sack with Igor Olshansky in third quarter on drive after Bolts had scored touchdown to take 17-13 lead…helped force punt three plays later…sacked Ben Roethlisberger for eight-yard loss on first play of Pittsburgh’s last offensive series of game…had first interception of his career in San Francisco Oct. 15…was only fourth interception by Chargers lineman this decade and first since Adrian Dingle in 2004…later closed out game with six-yard sack on San Francisco’s final play of game…Oct. 22 in Kansas City, Castillo had fumble recovery after Marques Harris sack and forced fumble that allowed Chargers to drive and tie game 27-27 late in fourth quarter…led defensive line with six tackles, Oct. 29 against St. Louis, including one-yard tackle for loss against Tony Fisher on last play of first half…collected five-yard sack on third down play to force field goal attempt in second quarter against Cleveland Nov. 5…injured ankle in Browns game and was inactive Weeks 9-12…came back Week 13 against Denver after missing last four games with ankle injury…was only going to see limited action but was pressed into duty when Jacques Cesaire left game with neck injury…ended up making huge play in fourth quarter by sacking Jay Cutler for eight-yard loss on fourth-and-two play…five plays later, LaDainian Tomlinson scored his NFL record-tying 28th touchdown of season on six-yard run…started Week 14 vs. K.C. and collected four-yard sack against Trent Green on first-down play in fourth quarter…re-injured ankle in Kansas City game and inactive Weeks 15-16…returned to starting lineup for AFC Divisional Playoffs vs. N.E.…pressured Tom Brady into throwing interception to Drayton Florence on third-and-10 play early in third quarter…shared one-yard tackle for loss with linebacker Stephen Cooper late in fourth quarter.

2005: All-Rookie Team selection by NFL.com, Pro Football Weekly and the Professional Football Writers of America…saw action at defensive tackle in season opener against Dallas and had two tackles in first-career game…started Weeks 2-8 at left defensive end…helped hold Philadelphia to 24 yards rushing one week after holding Oakland to 39 yards on ground…broke up pass on third-down play in third quarter to force Eagles punt in game Philly led 10-7…after 22-yard shanked punt, Bolts scored touchdown on ensuing drive for 14-10 lead…had big game in 28-20 win over Kansas City Oct. 30 with 1.5 sacks…combined with Stephen Cooper on five-yard sack on Chiefs second offensive play of game…late in fourth quarter with Bolts up 28-13, sacked Trent Green for six-yard loss on third-and-two play at Chargers’ three-yard line…Chiefs went for it on fourth down and turned ball over to Chargers on downs, keeping score 28-13…two-yard sack and forced fumble on third-and-14 on first play of second quarter against Buffalo Nov. 20…ball was fumbled out of bounds as Bills retained possession…counted tackle for loss among three stops against Redskins Nov. 27…helped hold Oakland to 81 rushing yards in ESPN Sunday Night Football game Dec. 4 with 24 yards coming on final play of game…shared three-yard tackle for loss with Shawne Merriman in first quarter against Miami Dec. 11…helped force Dolphins punt two plays later and on ensuing drive, Chargers scored touchdown for 7-0 lead…turned in one of biggest plays of season with three-yard sack with 3:10 remaining in fourth quarter at Indianapolis Dec. 18…play was big as it took place at San Diego 35-yard line on third-and-21 play, moving Colts out of field goal range and forcing punt to preserve 19-17 lead…two plays after punt went for touchback, Michael Turner took handoff and went 83 yards for touchdown to seal 26-17 victory…Chargers Alumni Player of Week after collecting three tackles for loss among season-high eight total stops at Kansas City Dec. 24…credited with tackle for loss among four stops against Denver Dec. 31.

COLLEGE: Only fourth player in school history to earn All-America and Academic All-America honors in same season…2004 first-team All-America by Pro Football Weekly, second-team All-Big Ten, Academic All-America by ESPN and second-team Academic All-Big Ten…2003 first-team Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten…winner of school’s Carnig Minasian Citizenship Award…named United Auto Workers Lineman of Game after 2003 Motor City Bowl against Bowling Green…second-team Academic All-District by CoSIDA and Academic All-Big Ten in 2002…finished career with 251 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 19.5 tackles for loss…played at Northwestern from 2001-04…earned degree in economics.

PERSONAL: Born Aug. 4, 1983 in Brooklyn, New York…SuperPrep All-America at Garfield High School in Garfield, New Jersey…first-team all-state and all-county as junior and senior by Associated Press and Newark Star-Ledger…three-time first-team all-league choice…team captain and team MVP as senior…also lettered in track and wrestling as state’s top heavyweight…member of Math Honor Society, National Honor Society and Honor Roll.