Part One of our look into Alejandro Villanueva’s journey to a starting spot on the Steelers, began in the winter of his junior year in college. I shared how his selfless character and hard work allowed our new coaching staff to transform him into a starting Wide Receiver for his final season of football at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Obviously, there were many challenges we faced each week on the practice field. Refinement, technique, time… But instead of taking you down that path, I want to highlight four events of that 2009 season.
Early in Fall Camp 2009
As we always do at the end of practice, the team gets into its Army versus Army drill. As seasoned Wide Receivers know, they are dependent upon everyone else doing their job so they can get a chance to contribute statistically. That realization was starting to sink in with Ali.
As a very talented, selfless football player, Ali’s focus was always to help his teammates. But standing out there at Wide Receiver, the game feels a lot different than it does in relative obscurity as an offensive lineman. Ali was starting to experience this change.
Andhen it happens, Quarterback Trent Steelman finally connects with Ali for a touchdown in practice. Exhale. Life is pumped back into this experiment.
Emotions were high – very high. This whole experiment was not some happy-go-lucky affair – there was pressure – but I don’t think we would have had it any other way. This was hard, and the margin for error was very small.
Ali Catches First TD (Credit: CBS College Sports)
Army Versus Ball State
It’s the third game of the 2009 season, and we’re stalling a little bit on offense. Our opponent, Ball State, was a pretty good team that year. We needed a spark.
Sometime late in the second quarter, our offense is facing fourth and long with the ball around our 40 yard line. Offensive Coordinator Ian Shields calls a pass play…
Steelman threw into double coverage and the safety tried to intercept the ball when all he had to do was knock it down. The ball bounced off his chest and Ali found his way out of the two defenders – catching it one-handed. It was an amazing play.
Two plays later, we hit Ali on a play action ball for his second collegiate touchdown. We went on to beat Ball State 24-17.
The play sequence never should have occurred except for the fact that Ali made a spectacular play on fourth down where there was no play – even for the best Wide Receiver in the game.
Ali Stretches for Amazing Catch (Credit: CBS College Sports)
Alejandro Villanueva Stretches Like No Other Wide Receiver Can
Later that year – in a play that fools everyone, Ali catches a ball on the sideline against VMI. No one is used to seeing length out of bounds like this. Notice: the back judge was quick to call it out but was overturned on replay.
You know why he caught that ball? Yes, we did sideline drills and technique does exist for catching those types of balls. But Ali was often one to throw the ball around with his teammates – it was a bit of a “Thursday-practice-sort-of-thing.”
I remember watching the guys messing around and thinking it was not the best use of their time. They were trying to throw it out of bounds and see how far Ali could reach to catch it. I held my tongue and that play against VMI resulted. I like to think that was good coaching by just letting it happen…
Ali in Army Navy Game (Credit: CBS)
Army Versus Navy
Finally, it was Army-Navy. It was my first experience in this classic rivalry. A game that is larger than life. But for me, this day went beyond football.
The game ended with Navy possessing the football in a 17-3 Army loss. With seconds left, I started to walk onto the field to shake hands. I turned to my left and Ali was beside me – he was the first person I shook hands with. He thanked me for what I had done over the past 10 months. It had been quite a journey.
His football life was over. What he was about to do next was a known. He had branched infantry. He was ready to go and be with his classmates in a time of war. He was ready to go do his part. It was as if in an instant, it changed from “Whatever you need coach” to “Whatever you need America.”
Months later I learned that our exchange at the end of the Army-Navy game had been caught in the periphery of the TV cameras. A family friend had brought it up to me, describing it as very cool. Even then, I did not truly understand the depth of the man whose hand I was shaking. He had just sacrificed his senior year for a chance at contributing as a Wide Receiver and it had worked – he led the team in catches, yards and touchdowns. He did it because our coaching staff asked this of him. Because he is in a word: selfless.
Ali was then and continues to be now, larger than life itself.
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In Part Three of Alejandro Villanueva’s story, I will share a little background on his time serving as an active duty United States Army officer and his transition to NFL dreams.
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Part Two – Wide Receiver