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Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva reflected on the Ravens’ upcoming game against his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, telling reporters on December 1, “There is truly an emotional component of going back to Pittsburgh.”
But Villanueva doesn’t know exactly how he’ll feel when on the visitor’s sideline for the first time at Pittsburghs’ Heinz Field, only offering, “We’ll see when I cross that bridge.”
The Army veteran spent the first six years of his career in Pittsburgh, earning two selections to the Pro Bowl and emerging as one of the Steelers’ most reliable players. He appeared in all 16 games in all six seasons in Pittsburgh, anchoring an offensive line alongside that was consistently among the league’s best.
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But the Steelers’ offensive line this season looks nothing like the one Villanueva left last season, with All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey retiring and All-Pro right guard David DeCastro struggling to recover from lingering ankle injuries.
“If Maurkice Pouncey was playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers, that game would turn into blows between me and him,” Villanueva joked, “I’d probably line up at nose, and he’ll line up at D-end, and it’s going to be unsportsmanlike conduct the whole game.”
As a result, Villanueva doesn’t think his emotions about his return to Pittsburgh will follow him onto the field.
“I think the game of football is almost auto-pilot,” he said, “As a player, me personally, I think you always try to do your best. It’s not like you’re going to re-invent yourself for a game.”
Strong Connection With Pittsburgh
But he can’t deny that his roots run deep in the Steel City, where he lived, worked, attended school and raised a family.
“It’s a city that I’ve lived the longest in my life; I had all four of my kids there; I went to school in Pittsburgh,” said Villanueva, who added that Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned a master’s degree in Business Administration, “was one of the biggest influences in my life.”
Villanueva’s connection to Pittsburgh is especially significant given his unorthodox journey to the NFL. He played for the Army Black Knights at West Point and completed three tours of duty in Afghanistan before pursuing a career in the NFL, eventually landing in Pittsburgh where he got back into football shape and playing form.
He said that he looked forward to “seeing people that have had a significant impact on my life as I transitioned out of the military and tried to start a career in the NFL,” including Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, head athletic Trainer John Norwig and senior conditioning coordinator Garrett Giemont.
Villanueva Weighs in on Ravens-Steelers Rivalry
Villanueva started 11 games as a Steeler against the Ravens in his career, so he’s familiar with the teams’ bitter rivalry that runs as hot as any other in the league.
He offered his perspective as a veteran and one of the few players who have played for both teams.
“I think it’s really interesting to look at the big picture of how the NFL works,” he said, noting that most divisions are dominated by one team, like the New England Patriots’ decades-long stranglehold on the AFC East.
“But I think in the AFC North, you’ve got Coach Tomlin, and you’ve got Coach Harbaugh that are just resisting to give in to each other,” Villanueva continued, “So, that’s how I feel that the rivalry has been sort of developing the past 20 years.”
He’ll take the field on Sunday at a familiar position to Steelers fans: left tackle, where he made 90 consecutive starts from 2015-2020. The seven-year veteran briefly moved to right tackle in Baltimore, but moved back to his former position after one disastrous game and an injury to All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley.
Villanueva will look to shut down former All-Pro teammates like Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt, if the latter clears COVID-19 protocol, for the Ravens’ matchup with the Steelers on December 5.