Former Army Ranger, Steelers LT Alejandro Villanueva featured in Memorial Day video

Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle and Army Ranger veteran Alejandro Villanueva was featured in a video message released by The Players’ Tribune on Memorial Day.

The video, titled “Something Bigger,” was released via The Players’ Tribune’s verified Twitter account. It discusses Villanueva’s journey into the military — something he calls “truly the best decision of my life” — and the lessons learned, some of which he can apply to playing in NFL games.

“That first deployment, just like in a football game, you’ve done it in training — but at some point, you had to do it in real life,” Villanueva said while wearing a shirt with a patch of an American flag on it.

Villanueva, 31, took over as the Steelers’ starting left tackle in 2015 and was named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster after the 2017 and ’18 seasons. He is entering the final year of his contract this season.

Villanueva, who played football at Army West Point, was decorated with the Bronze Star for valor after three tours of duty in Afghanistan.

“I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself. It truly was the best decision that I ever made in my life.”@steelers offensive tackle and U.S. Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva shares his story in a salute to all those who serve. #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/R0PtYVxPUu

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) May 25, 2020

“Being out of the military for five years now, the thing you do remember are not the fire fights, not the scary moments, not the bombs that you blew up,” Villanueva said. “Just the soldiers you were serving with and the relationships you had with them.”

Villanueva discusses his decision at age 16 to pursue a career in the military. He talks about how the majority of time spent during a deployment is “simply hanging out with the other soldiers.” He also recalls his time in training as when he learned that developing bonds with classmates and being able to rely on each other were the most important lessons.

Villanueva said the soldiers he served with became “the best friendships that I have had my entire life.”

.@JoeStarkey1 column: Army vet Alejandro Villanueva earns instant respect with @steelers http://t.co/crkzlNUiFn

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) September 4, 2014

“Your willingness to fight for each other is always more valuable than how fast you could run two miles or how many pushups you can do,” he said. “It’s never about you. It’s never about what you can bring to the table. It was more of a ‘What is it that you can do for others and how are you going to sacrifice for others?’

“For me,” Villanueva said moments earlier, “it was never about something that I wanted to do personally. I just wanted to be part of something bigger than myself.”

The video was sponsored in part by USAA Insurance, for which Villanueva has been a paid endorser for several years.

Villanueva spent a total of 20 months in deployment, reaching the rank of captain.

“Every single time I’ve had an opportunity to thank anyone who joined the military, I always take the time to thank them for their service, their sacrifices and their families,” Villanueva said.

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.