Turning point has Costigan primed for big junior season
BryantBulldogs.com exclusive
SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Rarely can you vividly point to a series of plays that could be a huge turning point for a student-athletes career. In the case of Bryant University football junior linebacker Thomas Costigan (Stamford, Conn.), that could just be the case.
It was days before Halloween in 2016 and the Bulldogs were on the road facing Duquesne, one of the Northeast Conference's top offenses. With Bryant holding a 10-7 lead, Costigan made two outstanding defensive plays just 54 seconds apart.
Duquesne QB Dillon Buechel dropped back to pass on 3rd-and-11 but Costigan broke free and sacked Buechel. The ball came free and Costigan alertly jumped on it to give Bryant the ball at the Duquesne 5 and an easy touchdown one play later.
It wasn't over though, as Costigan continued to terrorize Buechel just moments later. On the second play of the Dukes' next drive, Costigan dropped back in coverage and picked off Buechel and returned it to the DUQ 22, leading to another seven points for the Black and Gold.
Costigan went on to finish the game with 10 tackles and the performance started a four-game stretch in which he posted 35 tackles, 3.5 sacks, eight tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception to close the season. It was enough to earn Costigan All-NEC Second Team honors after the year.
"I wouldn't exactly say that the success I had over the final weeks of the season changed my perspective of the player I can be," Costigan said. "I set very high standards for myself, so I went into last season expecting to play that way all year. When I wasn't playing as well as I had hoped, I kind of drove myself into a mental slump. Finally, going into the Duquesne week, I decided to take a different approach. I went into that game focusing only on the next play. I stopped worrying about any previous mistakes I may have made in the game and just really tried to give everything I had in that very next play. Things took a turn for the better and I haven't turned back since."
What the final four games of 2016 did, without question, was show the type of game-changing player that Costigan can be. Whether it be getting after the quarterback, stopping the run or dropping back in coverage, Costigan has proved he is capable of doing it all. Now a junior and one of the leaders of a defense that has the pieces to be dominant, he knows better than anyone the type of impact he can have during the 2017 season.
"I want to be the guy that everyone can look to when the game isn't going our way," Costigan said. "Playing inside linebacker is a huge responsibility because everyone looks to you to get the call. You have to be able to make sure that all three phases of the defense are on the same page. With this being said, you have to remain calm and confident so that when everyone does look to you to get the call, your confidence can rub off on them and we can worry about making the next play."
At 6-3, 216, you can't miss Costigan on the field. Most of the time it doesn't have to do with his size, it's the long hair flowing out from under his helmet or the energy and passion that he shows during the game. Costigan showed flashes of something special during his rookie season in 2015, posting three sacks, five tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles in limited playing time.
By the end of his sophomore season, though, it was clear that Costigan had another level. He finished with 58 tackles, six sacks, 10.5 tackles for a loss, an NEC-leading four forced fumbles and four pass breakups. Now, his goal is to prove that the end of last year was just the tip of the iceberg.
"Football is everything to me; I love to win and I hate to lose," Costigan said. "Anything I can do to help the team take the next step and win that NEC Championship is the overall goal."