After serving three tours of duty in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army, 25 year old Alejandro Villanueva will finally get to realize his lifelong dream of playing in the NFL, after the Philadelphia Eagles signed the four year vet early Monday morning.
The 6'9", 277 pound Villanueva, a hero to this great nation from his four years of military service, was a defensive lineman for his first few years at Army before eventually converting to wide receiver, where he thrived in his 2009 senior season. Villanueva caught 34 passes for 522 yards and five touchdowns, while leading the team in all three of those categories. While he may not be able to provide much in terms of being a downfield threat, his solid frame and big hands will be useful to the Eagles as a goal line threat, similar to what Christian Fauria provides in Detroit for the Lions. Not many cornerbacks will be able to defend an end zone lob to someone the size of an NBA power forward.
While Villanueva was an active man of the military, he was awarded many medals, including the Bronze Star Medal for valor, a National Defense Service medal, a NATO medal, an Expert Infantryman's badge, and many other medals. Villanueva began his active duty in May 2010 as a lieutenant, but was recently promoted to captain before his last active tour.
It takes an incredibly brave man to turn down an NFL future to serve his country. Villanueva did just that back in 2010. It is great to see someone who sacrificed so much for his country finally get rewarded by realizing his dreams of becoming an NFL player. Villanueva is a great addition to a Philadelphia offense and should be able to impact the offense from day one.
By: Dan Goggin
Follow us on twitter @BroadStBeat
While Villanueva was an active man of the military, he was awarded many medals, including the Bronze Star Medal for valor, a National Defense Service medal, a NATO medal, an Expert Infantryman's badge, and many other medals. Villanueva began his active duty in May 2010 as a lieutenant, but was recently promoted to captain before his last active tour.
It takes an incredibly brave man to turn down an NFL future to serve his country. Villanueva did just that back in 2010. It is great to see someone who sacrificed so much for his country finally get rewarded by realizing his dreams of becoming an NFL player. Villanueva is a great addition to a Philadelphia offense and should be able to impact the offense from day one.
By: Dan Goggin
Follow us on twitter @BroadStBeat
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