The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the satisfactory offensive traces in the NFL at some stage in the 2010s. The guys who made up that team – Marcus Gilbert, David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, and Alejandro Villanueva – saved quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s uniform clean. Head Coach Mike Tomlin affectionally referred to them as the “Goon Squad.” One of the big variations between playing the offensive line and one of a kind positions is that no longer listening to your discover being introduced is usually a appropriate thing. This crew excelled. They stored their nostril down, played smart, and outwitted defenses over and over again.
Villanueva has one of the most fascinating stories of any player in the NFL. He used to be as soon as born in Spain to a navy officer and moved at some point of his childhood. He enrolled at West Point Military Academy and thanks to a friend, he performed soccer for the Army. That equal buddy helped him join with the NFL and after at the starting not making it as a tight end, he went returned into issuer and did a couple of excursions in Afghanistan.
Steelers’ Alejandro Villanueva Downplays The NFL Pro Bowl
During his time in the military, he acquired severa commendations for his bravery and leadership. So it is no longer stunning that he was once as soon as that equal courageous chief on the football field. Recently, Villanueva joined The Team House podcast which is co-hosted through former Army Rangers Jack Murphy and Dave Parke. They robotically interview former and current folks of the army or people who work in the protection industry.
While on the show, they requested Villanueva about his captivating path. His journey is non-traditional for the navy and non-traditional for the NFL, so it makes him some aspect of a unicorn. It also helped Villanueva appeal to a lot of followers who revered his service to the america greatly. As he pointed out on the show, Pittsburgh has a high awareness of Vietnam veterans and nearly each and every person in Pittsburgh loves the Steelers.
During their conversation, Villanueva stated he was once in the NFL for eight years total, however he solely counts seven due to the fact one 12 months he used to be practice squad. He called it being a “tackling dummy.” The hosts point out that he used to be a ways from definitely a “dummy” most of his career, he obtained selected to two Pro Bowls, and they be aware how prestigious that is.
“No, the Pro Bowl is now no longer prestigious at all, it is about awards, everything turns into subjective,” dismisses Villanueva. “Nah nah nah nah. One of the things about American way of life that I’ve constantly admired and cherished has been debates about Kobe [Bryant] and [Michael] Jordan. Who is better? Even now, the media for American soccer is simply that, or sports activities in general, is exactly truly that, the argument as to who’s better, who’s this, who’s that, this subjective conversation.”
While there is a subjective piece to the Pro Bowl selection process, Villanueva wasn’t just thrown in the combine at random. In 2017, his first willpower year, the Steelers sent a league-high eight gamers to the Pro Bowl. That protected the “Killer Bees” with Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le’Veon Bell, as well as his fellow linemen Foster and Pouncey, kicker Chris Boswell, and linebacker Ryan Shazier (who’d recently suffered his career-ending spinal twine injury).
Villanueva’s Army teammates have been definitely comfy for him. He grew to come to be the first Black Knight to make the Pro Bowl in greater than forty years. It can be called subjective, however it is nonetheless a large deal. Always humble, Villanueva credits that success to others.
“If you recognize football, and you’re just no longer lying to your self about what it is, then you start realizing that the offense, the quarterback, the magic it’s in the room makes the game enthusiasts better. You cannot put a participant on a horrible safety and rely on him to get sacks. It’s surely no longer going to happen. I played with awesome players. I was with Le’Veon, I used to be with Antonio Brown, I was once with Ben Roethlisberger, we had an notable offense and that is what happens. You shine due to the fact each and every person round you is so good. All of my career, I’ve had very talented humans spherical me who made my story a little inconceivable at times. The reality that I went to the Pro Bowl is silly. It’s the most weird time, the insecurities of the gamers of whether or now not they are well worth it to be there, truely very, very funny,” stated Villanueva.
Perhaps because Villanueva did now not dream of enjoying in the NFL as a child, or did now now not develop up staring at soccer (he watched “fútbol” instead), he does no longer see the affect or get the dream many have of making it there. On the different hand, it is very honest to be necessary of the Pro Bowl. Just like the debate of “Jordan vs LeBron” pronouncing one is better does not negate the charge of the distinctive player.
On top of that, the Pro Bowl has changed. It’s been moved to before the Super Bowl, and now it is distinctly a knowledge opposition and some flag football. However, that does now no longer negate the reality that it skill something, it just does. When you bring up excellent players, that stat commonly accompanies it: “two-time Super Bowl Champion, six-time Pro Bowler Ben Roethlisberger,” for example. It establishes a participant as one of the splendid at his function as in distinction to his peers.
