Getty A former player for head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers landed a job as an NFL analyst.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva has a new gig.
Fox Sports announced on January 20 that Villanueva will join Fox Deportes as a lead NFL analyst.
The two-time Pro Bowler will waste no time getting started. He will call the Philadelphia Eagles–New York Giants NFC Divisional matchup for Fox Deportes on January 21.
Villanueva is also expected to call Super Bowl LVII for Fox Deportes.
🚨Two-time Pro Bowler Alejandro Villanueva joins @FOXDeportes as lead NFL analyst, including for Super Bowl LVII.
Dos veces jugador del Pro Bowl Alejandro Villanueva se une a @FOXDeportes como analista de la NFL, incluyendo para el Super Bowl LVII⬇️
📰https://t.co/8KqSOUhbx3
“We are proud to welcome Alejandro to FOX Deportes,” Fox Executive Vice President and General Manager Carlos Sanchez said in a press release. “His football career and professional story speaks for itself. We have no doubt that he will offer invaluable insight as part of our comprehensive coverage of Super Bowl LVII.”
Villanueva Joining Fox Deportes
In addition to Sanchez, the former offensive tackle also commented about his new job through a press release.
“I’m looking forward to this incredible opportunity with Fox Deportes to work with Adrian, Jesse, and the rest of the incredible staff,” said Villanueva. “I think it will be awesome to bring a Spanish audience some insights about American football and what I found to be fascinating as I got to know the sport.”
Villanueva was born in Mississippi. He attended Army and served with the Army Rangers for more than five years. That service helped turn him into a patriotic symbol for the NFL during his playing career.
But Villanueva was born to two Spanish parents and part of his upbringing occurred overseas in Belgium and Spain. That experience makes him an ideal broadcaster for a network which largely aims to grow the popularity of the NFL within Spanish audiences.
While at Army from 2006-09, Villanueva played several different positions, including left tackle, defensive end and even wide receiver. He caught 34 passes for 522 yards and 5 touchdowns as a senior in 2009.
Villanueva deployed three times to Afghanistan serving with the Army Rangers from 2010-15. He earned a Bronze Star Medal for rescuing soldiers while under enemy fire.
Villanueva’s Road to Becoming Steelers Two-Time Pro Bowler
The Army offensive tackle began his NFL career with the Eagles in 2014, but when he didn’t make the team out of training camp, the Steelers assigned him to their practice squad.
The following season, injuries gave Villanueva a significant chance at playing time. He started 10 games as a 27-year-old in 2015 and played well enough to become a full-time starter by the following season.
From 2016-20, Villanueva started every game at left tackle for the Steelers. In 2017 and 2018, he made the Pro Bowl team. At that point in time, he was the starting left tackle for one of the Top 10 offensive lines in the league.
The Steelers elected to let Villanueva go in free agency following the 2020 season. He played one more year in the league with the Baltimore Ravens. In 2021, he started all 17 games at left tackle for Pittsburgh’s arch rival.
Last March, Villanueva officially retired from the NFL.
In addition to playing for the Steelers, Villanueva has connection to Pittsburgh through a local university. He graduated with a business MBA from Carnegie Mellon in 2019.