Castañeda played college football for the Borregos Salvajes Monterrey, leading the team to three consecutive ONEFA national championships from 2004 to 2006.
He began his professional career in 2007, playing one season in NFL Europe with the Rhein Fire before spending time on the practice squads of the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
[2] He began playing American football at the age of 10 with Club Vaqueros de Ciudad Acuña, winning several championships as one of the most competitive teams in AFAINC.
[2][4] Castañeda decided to forego his final year of college eligibility, signing with NFL Europe team Rhein Fire in 2007 as an international prospect.
[1][12] His former college teammate, Rolando Cantú, had previously become the first player from a Mexican university to play an NFL regular-season game when he appeared for the Cardinals in 2005.
[12] The Cardinals reached Super Bowl XLIII that year, with Castañeda traveling to Tampa, Florida to support his teammates.