Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle, Alejandro Villanueva, now retired, will receive the 2023 Hula Bowl Trailblazer Award. He receives the award through his courageous actions as a part of the Armed Forces, as well as his successful career in the NFL. The Hula Bowl is held in January annually, featuring some of college football's premier athletes, as well as international players. After an 11-year hiatus, it was started back up in 2020.
Villanueva continues to be one of the cooler NFL stories, beginning with his journey in the military. After five years in the military, he opted to try out for the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles initially signed him on as a defensive end, before eventually making it to the Steelers. In Pittsburgh, he became an offensive tackle and progressed immensely.
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 20: Alejandro Villanueva #78, Chukwuma Okorafor #76 and Kevin Dotson #69 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during the game against the Denver Broncos at Heinz Field on September 20, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Offensive line coach Mike Munchak, who most recently coached the same position with the Denver Broncos, helped build Villanueva into a good NFL player. Munchak remains a bit of an unsung hero for his role in developing the team's offensive line into one of the best in football throughout the 2010's. He was hired in 2014, shortly after the Tennessee Titans fired him as head coach. In fact, there were rumors about Munchak being interested in a return to Pittsburgh this off-season, but the team opted for Pat Meyer.
In his opening season with the Steelers, Villanueva started 12 of the 18 games in 2015, including two playoff tilts. He was now a regular starter in the lineup, joining Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, and David DeCastro as staples on the offensive line. From there on, Villanueva didn't miss a game. He started all 80 of the possible games in the next five seasons, as well as five playoff games. While his performance in itself was exceptional, his pure availability may have been his best trait.
The same can be said for the rest of that core group, as that's what helped hold the group together for those years. Now, Pittsburgh fans would love to have just one of them back on the offensive line, nonetheless all of them. After a multiple-year stretch of being a top-three offensive line in football, the black and gold now possess one of the worst lines in the NFL.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 22: David DeCastro #66 and Ramon Foster #73 of the Pittsburgh Steelers look on during the first half of the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 22, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Villanueva made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2017 and 2018, the two lone appearances of his career. After the Steelers let him walk in 2021, he chose to sign with division rival, Baltimore Ravens. That ended up being the last season of his career, as he just retired a few months ago. The ending to his career may leave a bad taste in the mouths of fans, but no one can blame him. The Steelers let him move on, and he chose a deal that would help him play for one more season.
Steeler fans, what are your favorite memories of Villanueva in the black and gold? Where does he rank amongst offensive tackles in team history? Show your appreciation for "Big Al" in the comments, including this incredible honor he will be receiving in 2023!
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