NFL, U.S. Army Veteran Alejandro Villanuevaula Named Hula Bowl Trailblazer Award Winner
By hulabowl.com // January 11, 2023
graduated from the Army football team in 2010
(HULABOWL.COM) – This year, the Hula Bowl is proud to announce Alejandro Villanueva will be the 2023 Hula Bowl Trailblazer Award Winner.
Villanueva has been selected for his amazing sacrifice and service as a decorated member of our Armed Forces, as well as a terrific football player.
Alejandro Villanueva is well known around the NFL because he dominated for the Pittsburgh Steelers for several years becoming one of the top offensive linemen in the NFL.
Villanueva is a true trailblazer because his path to the NFL was not like many others. After graduating from the Army football team in 2010, Villanueva would receive a workout with the Cincinnati Bengals as a tight end.
Villanueva would not make it with the Bengals but would eventually get another shot from the Bears on a tryout basis. He failed to get signed by the Bears as well. Villanueva then had to make a life decision.
He decided to continue with his military career to serve our country. Villanueva would serve in the Army Rangers, earning a Bronze Star, while serving three tours of duty in Afghanistan.
Villanueva’s NFL dreams were not over. In 2014 he returned to the states and paid $245 dollars to attend a Regional Combine in Flowery Branch, Georgia. This would turn out to be the best $245 dollars ever spent.
During this time, the NFL held 10 regional combines nationwide and had over 3,000 prospects attend.
In April 2014, Big Al was one of 240 prospects invited to the NFL super regional combine in Detroit, where he met with representatives from the Philadelphia Eagles.
On May 5, 2014, he would sign a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles to play defensive end. Villanueva was content, that if he did not make the roster, he would serve another tour overseas.
Villanueva would gain 40 pounds in the minicamp, however, a few months later in August he was released by the team. It wouldn’t be long after this outing, that Villanueva’s journey would truly begin in the NFL.
Mike Tomlin loved Villanueva’s size and athleticism and signed him to the Steelers practice squad a few days later in August of 2014.
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