PITTSBURGH -- Alejandro Villanueva plopped his 81-inch frame on a too-small chair by his locker. Head down, hunched over, back stretched out like a movie screen, he slowly removed tape from his left wrist after a spirited practice.
In this moment, the bearded, 320-pound man doesn't look like the rifle platoon leader of the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat team.
He looks like a starting NFL left tackle.
That's by design. Villanueva has shuffled his feet into a new realm of life. He'll always be proud of his decorated past as an Army Ranger who won a Bronze Star for valor while touring in Afghanistan.
But he admitted, in the week before Veterans Day, that he's not focused on his past. He's helping the Steelers win games now.
"I really try to stay off the spotlight as much as I can, stay out of the press, not really focus on the outside world but my own job, my own share of the work," Villanueva said. "When it comes to blocking and protecting, that's my only focus."
That approach is paying off. Placed into the starting lineup after Kelvin Beachum tore his anterior cruciate ligament in Week 6 against Arizona, Villanueva has acquitted himself well as a starter. He's still a bit raw -- he played defensive end, tackle and wide receiver at Army -- but graded out better than any Steelers offensive lineman against the Bengals two weeks ago. In his debut, he gave up a Tamba Hali sack late in a loss to the Chiefs but was solid otherwise. Raiders pass-rushers were relatively quiet on Sunday, and Villanueva had something to do with that.
Turns out Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's instincts were good when he noticed an abnormally large human, then a Philadelphia Eagles practice squad member, during the national anthem of a preseason game. Tomlin said to himself, "That's a left tackle."
"[His play has] been on the rise, and it needs to continue to be," Tomlin said on Tuesday.
Football accomplishment pales in comparison to Villanueva's work overseas, but Villanueva knows both areas require on-the-job experience.
That's why Villanueva is ready for whatever comes his way on the field.
"For me, it's continuing to catch up, continuing to improve, just feeling more comfortable at the position," Villanueva said. "Especially describing scenarios of how plays pan out. You can look at it in the book or in the film room, but you have to have the experience."
Villanueva has become something of a fan favorite because of his tremendous backstory, chronicled deftly by ESPN's Ashley Fox in August. Villanueva said he gets requests from the Steelers public relations team for local appearances and tries to oblige.
His service will always be a part of him. That's why Veterans Day is just one of 365 in his mind.
"I really don't celebrate that day," Villanueva said. "All I've known my whole life is the military. I don't really have any special celebration. It's mostly, I guess now that I'm not in the military, I just think about the guys that are serving."
