Steelers Offensive Tackle Alejandro Villanueva Downplays Past Honors: "The Fact That I Made A Pro Bowl Is Silly"

The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL during the 2010s. The men who made up that group - Marcus Gilbert, David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey, Ramon Foster, and Alejandro Villanueva - kept quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's uniform clean. Head Coach Mike Tomlin affectionally referred to them as the "Goon Squad." One of the big differences between playing the offensive line and other positions is that not hearing your name being announced is usually a good thing. This group excelled. They kept their nose down, played smart, and outwitted defenses over and over again.    

Villanueva has one of the most interesting stories of any player in the NFL. He was born in Spain to a military officer and moved throughout his childhood. He enrolled at West Point Military Academy and thanks to a friend, he played football for the Army. That same friend helped him connect with the NFL and after initially not making it as a tight end, he went back into service and did multiple tours in Afghanistan. 

Steelers' Alejandro Villanueva Downplays The NFL Pro Bowl

During his time in the military, he received numerous commendations for his bravery and leadership. So it isn't surprising that he was that same brave leader on the football field. Recently, Villanueva joined The Team House podcast which is co-hosted by former Army Rangers Jack Murphy and Dave Parke. They routinely interview former and current members of the military or people who work in the defense industry.  

While on the show, they asked Villanueva about his fascinating path. His journey is non-traditional for the military and non-traditional for the NFL, so it makes him something of a unicorn. It also helped Villanueva attract a lot of fans who respected his service to the country greatly. As he pointed out on the show, Pittsburgh has a high concentration of Vietnam veterans and almost everyone in Pittsburgh loves the Steelers. 

During their conversation, Villanueva said he was in the NFL for eight years total, but he only counts seven because one year he was practice squad. He called it being a "tackling dummy." The hosts point out that he was far from just a "dummy" most of his career, he got selected to two Pro Bowls, and they note how prestigious that is.

"No, the Pro Bowl is not prestigious at all, it's about awards, everything becomes subjective," dismisses Villanueva. "Nah nah nah nah. One of the things about American culture that I've always admired and loved has been debates about Kobe [Bryant] and [Michael] Jordan. Who is better? Even now, the media for American football is just that, or sports in general, is exactly just 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 mix at random. In 2017, his first selection year, the Steelers sent a league-high eight players to the Pro Bowl. That included 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 cord injury).   

Villanueva's Army teammates were happy for him. He became the first Black Knight to make the Pro Bowl in more than 40 years. It can be called subjective, but it is still a big deal. Always humble, Villanueva credits that success to others. 

"If you know football, and you're just not lying to yourself about what it is, then you start realizing that the offense, the quarterback, the magic that's in the room makes the players better. You cannot put a player on a terrible defense and expect him to get sacks. It's just not going to happen. I played with incredible players. I was with Le'Veon, I was with Antonio Brown, I was with Ben Roethlisberger, we had an incredible offense and that's what happens. You shine because everyone around you is so good. All of my career, I've had very talented people around me who made my story a little unbelievable at times. The fact that I went to the Pro Bowl is silly. It's the weirdest time, the insecurities of the players of whether they are worth it to be there, just very, very funny," said Villanueva.

Perhaps because Villanueva did not dream of playing in the NFL as a child, or did not grow up watching football (he watched "fútbol" instead), he doesn't see the impact or get the dream many have of making it there. On the other hand, it is very fair to be critical of the Pro Bowl. Just like the debate of "Jordan vs LeBron" saying one is better doesn't negate the value of the other player. 

On top of that, the Pro Bowl has changed. It's been moved to before the Super Bowl, and now it is primarily a skills competition and some flag football. However, that does not negate the fact that it means something, it just does. When you bring up excellent players, that stat always accompanies it: "two-time Super Bowl Champion, six-time Pro Bowler Ben Roethlisberger," for example. It establishes a player as one of the best at his position as compared to his peers. 

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