Former Steelers and Ravens offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva officially called it a career this week, and to hear him tell it, he never even should have made it in the NFL in the first place.
The former Army officer turned two-time Pro Bowler went undrafted coming out of West Point in 2010, and he later served three tours in Afghanistan -- earning a Bronze Star for valor along the way -- before getting another shot in professional football.
So how did he even get that chance after four years on the battlefield and out of football?
Villanueva joined Cook and Joe on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh to explain that by "manipulating the egos" of football decision-makers, he was able to capitalize on what he called the NFL's "borderline infatuation" with the military -- including former Eagles and 49ers head coach Chip Kelly, who gave Villanueva his first training-camp tryout in 2014.
"I always thought that, around the year 2014, there was almost a borderline infatuation with the military in the NFL," Villanueva said. "And a lot of coaches were using that narrative of the military as a way of sort of leading the players and whatnot. So, I got very lucky that one of those coaches was Chip Kelly, who loved the military. You've got coaches like Bill Belichick and other coaches who continuously invite Navy SEALS to motivate and inspire the players, and Chip Kelly brought me in because he loved the military.
"Because there was no way that I could have ever played defensive end or tight end! You know, O-lineman maybe, but it's not like he gave me a chance to play O-lineman, so it was more of a, 'Look at this guy, he just went to the military, look how selfless he is and how hard he works,' and hopefully motivate some of the other players who had been in the NFL for many years and were a little hesitant of his philosophy or the story that he was telling the team."
Through his short-lived opportunity with the Eagles -- he was later cut -- Villanueva got a chance to meet Steelers players and coaches when the teams met in a preseason game. That opportunity, too, opened new doors to him, even though he had no inkling or plan that he would stick in the league for more than a season, at most.
"So, I got very lucky that I found a coach like [Kelly], and then I think the Steelers, when I played them in the preseason, they always like to find players that are different, and maybe it was aligned with the Rocky Bleier story, and teams always try to repeat things the same way. And then I met Coach [Mike] Munchak, who was someone who knows the game inside out, and knows there's always so much put on players in terms of talent and pedigree, and players get so hyped up, when, in reality, what matters is, especially when you're on the offensive line, is to always be consistent, relentless, be tough mentally and physically.
"So, I think I was able to find that path, it somewhat perfectly aligned for me to find some stability in my first two years. ... I never thought I was going to play in the NFL. I just wanted to fool a coach for one year so I could pay for business school, and then I could start my family right away instead of getting myself in debt and then have to work for many years before I could settle down and whatnot."
The hulking 6-foot-9 Villanueva, who, incredibly, played wide receiver for a year with Army, likened carving out his niche to finding one's role in American society at large, and he said he sees many parallels between the different jobs in football and the game of life itself.
"I always have the analogy that American football represents American society in many ways. All the way at the top, you've got the owners who are like the elite, who control society and whatnot. Then a step below you've got the GMs, who are like the people who finance everything, and they create a market and they say what's worth what, and how they can fit a formula of players based on a salary cap. Then you've got the coaches who are like the politicians who talk to the media and tell a story that everybody has to believe to win games.
"You've got the offensive line who are like the manufacturers, and they have to work together, and they always get blamed for everything because they're not producing or they're not giving you the product. You've got the skill guys, who are the hustlers, all they care about is numbers, numbers, numbers -- it doesn't matter who the quarterback is, or the line, they just got to get the numbers. Then you've got obviously the quarterback, who is the CEO, and he can make, with a bad team, he can make great decisions and make the team successful."
After six seasons and two Pro Bowls in Pittsburgh, Villanueva joined the rival Ravens in 2020 -- an unlikely turn he likened to "marrying my sister."
But the 33-year-old father-of-three said he has no regrets about his incredible career, and joked that he won't especially miss the grueling NFL lifestyle.
Villanueva made headlines in 2017, when he declined to remain in the locker room with his Steelers teammates during the playing of the national anthem amid league-wide peaceful kneeling protests. Instead, he emerged from the tunnel with his hand held over his heart to salute the flag.
He later apologized at the time for what he called throwing his teammates under the bus, because he said he had strayed from the plan the team had agreed upon.
On Thursday, he confirmed he would seek to serve on the front lines again -- "one-thousand percent" -- if the conflict in Ukraine grew to involve US troops, but he didn't exactly glorify war either.
"We might act divided, but once we feel attacked, once we feel like we have to defend what's ours, we all come together and fight as bravely as anyone else. I think it's a trait to all of us in our culture, and I don't think it's something rare to find. We just hope that we don't ever have to come together to fight, because obviously one thing that everybody knows is that everybody loses in war, and there's no winners. So hopefully this conflict can be resolved as quickly as possible."
Elsewhere, he joked about why he won't be missing football very much, and why he has been told on more than one occasion that he eats wings "like a white guy."
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