Who is Alejandro Villanueva?
He’s an Army veteran and offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Villanueva was the only member of his team to stand outside during the national anthem on Sunday, placing his hand on his heart per tradition. Head coach Mike Tomlin had earlier said the whole team would stay inside the locker room during the anthem to avoid any controversy.
People who were offended by NFL players who were protesting by kneeling during the national anthem praised Villanueva; however, he later told media that he had inadvertently gotten separated from his teammates and then realized he couldn’t turn back while the anthem was playing.
“I never planned to boycott the plan that the Steelers came up with,” he told reporters in Pittsburgh. “I just thought that there could be some middle ground where I could stay in the tunnel, nobody would see me.”
What’s his story?
Glenn shared some details from Villanueva’s Army career on radio Tuesday. Villanueva had a storied Army career: the Bronze Star for valor in Afghanistan, the challenges of Ranger School, and two tours in the elite Ranger Regiment, according to the New York Times. Standing at 6’8” and 320 pounds, the Mississippi-born football star was remembered as “a leader among his peers” by one of his commanders.
This article was originally published on GlennBeck.com.