"That was just my goal - to go down there and get the first tackle of the season," said Casali, who was one of 10 true freshmen making their debuts. "I was so pumped and the crowd was going crazy."
The tackle was one of three for the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder out of Sachem East High School on Long Island. On top of special-teams duties, Casali also saw extended playing time at inside linebacker, where he looked considerably well-adjusted given his lack of collegiate experience.