Miner Athletic Club Feature - Josh Caldwell

By Jeff Darby, UTEP Athletics

Creating Champions: This is an article in a series about UTEP student-athletes who share their unique stories and how athletic scholarships have made a difference in their lives. Each of these students reflects on the value of their UTEP experiences and the opportunities they create for the future.

Josh Caldwell endured his share of trials and tribulations on his way to starting at cornerback for the UTEP Miners. Growing up in California, he shared a room with two of his brothers and had to commute 40 minutes to high school daily while staying with the father of one of his friends.

“We just had to car pool,” he said. “Sometimes we would take an Uber. Sometimes we would be late because it was a struggle to get there.”

Despite leading La Mirada High School (Norwalk, Calif.) to a CIF and state championship as a senior, Caldwell received no Division I scholarship offers.

“I felt like I was a better player than Division II,” he said.

He decided to bet on himself, and spent the 2017 season at Cerritos College. He recorded 40 tackles, 4.5 tackles for losses and an interception in 10 games, and reignited his recruiting interest. UTEP came calling.

His recruiting visit to El Paso was memorable, as Caldwell got on a plane for the first time ever. “I didn’t like rollercoasters at the time, and everybody said ‘It’s like a rollercoaster, you’re going to love it,’” he said with a laugh. “I got on the plane, it started to lift off, and my stomach started bubbling up.”

He survived the trip, and now he’s set to begin his third and final season in the Orange and Blue. Last year, he really came into his own, posting a team-leading 11 pass breakups -- the eighth-best seasonal total in school history.

He has aspirations of playing in the NFL, but becoming the first of eight siblings to earn a college degree is equally as important to him.

“Where I came from, not a lot of people have succeeded,” he said. “My younger siblings look up to me, and that makes me go harder.

“Getting a degree opens up different opportunities in life, and you get to connect with other people. You may meet somebody in class, and they may have a job opportunity for you [someday]. Just getting my education and making those connections is going to help me, and it’s going to help my younger siblings and others when they see that I completed something and they can too.”

Caldwell is majoring in Multidisciplinary Studies with a minor in Communications. Besides playing in the NFL, he has a goal of being a firefighter.

He’s eternally grateful to coach Dana Dimel, as well as Miner Athletic Club supporters, for giving him the opportunity to receive a free college education.

“It means a lot,” he said. “If I didn’t have this scholarship, I would have taken another year of junior college. I’m just blessed and thankful.”

He’s excited about the upcoming 2020 season, and has a message for Miner fans everywhere that are thirsty for a successful season.

“We’ve work so hard to be in this position and we’ve overcome a lot,” he said. “I ask you guys to stick with us, because we’re going to overcome this together.” Learn how you can make your impact by visiting MinerAthleticClub.com