As an interior defensive lineman, USF’s Josh Celiscar plays a position filled with violence and mayhem. It’s part of the deal for this 6-foot-3, 290-pound man.
Bulls coach Alex Golesh put it succinctly.
“He plays with his hair on fire,” Golesh said.
However, this is not your typical college football player, nor is this a typical story.
Start with the fact that when Celiscar’s labors are finished for the day, he’s not hanging out with the guys. He retreats to the sanctuary of his home where his wife and nearly 1-year-old daughter await.
There’s nothing better.
“I didn't want to just be out and do whatever I want to do in my life,” he said. “I wanted to be with somebody, my significant other, be with my baby girl, and just live life basically. I feel like every time I come home, everything just goes away. I don't even think about what happened at practice today, or if I did something wrong. I just want to be in the moment with my wife and my baby girl. I love my life right now.”
Celiscar, the son of Haitian immigrants, grew up with four brothers and three sisters in nearby Winter Haven. Sports and education were very important in that household.
He played three seasons at UCF, where Golesh was an assistant. When Celiscar entered the transfer portal, Golesh tried to convince him to join the Bulls.
Instead, he chose Texas A&M.
“I just said I was gonna go to the SEC route, but that didn't work out,” Celiscar said.
He got a late start with the Aggies because of his daughter’s birth and ended up playing just one game, so he entered the portal again, intending to get back closer to home.
“I was happy to get that opportunity to play in the SEC. Once it didn't go the way I planned, it was like, that's just how life goes. So you gotta just take it with a grain of salt. Move on and just keep working as hard as you can.”
He heard from 22 schools after re-entering the portal, but his intention was to get closer to home. Once Golesh reached out to him, it was basically a done deal.
“He's the same guy I remember as a freshman, just four years more mature,” Golesh said. “He's got a different perspective on it. Man, he instantly earned the respect of this team, instantly earned the respect of his position group, and became a leader. The guys asked to have him on the Leadership Council a month into his being here, which says a lot about him.”
Celiscar gained about 40 pounds since Golesh saw him at UCF, which could make him more attractive to NFL scouts. And yes, he wants to play in “the league,” as he calls it.
With the salary he would make there, he could have security for his wife and daughter while also helping his parents.
However, his long-range career goal goes beyond the football field. He already has a bachelor's degree in psychology and may pursue a master’s, with the goal of being a sports psychologist.
“I just know a lot of athletes that have been injured, and they don't know what to do after football or whatever sport they play. I could be that person to talk to them because I know it can lead to depression,” he said. “You could be going through your mind and just thinking, Oh, if I didn't get hurt, what could have been? That's just something that I feel like I could do.”
For now, though, there is a final college season to prepare for and a family to embrace. It’s all about perspective, and Josh Celiscar is blessed with an overabundance of that.
Life is good.