Alejandro Villanueva Martín (born September 22, 1988) is a former American football offensive tackle who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Army Black Knights and fulfilled his service commitment after graduation, where he reached the rank of captain. Villanueva also served in the Army Rangers, earning a Bronze Star. After serving three tours of duty in Afghanistan, he signed a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014, but was waived prior to the season. He then signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and played for them for six seasons until signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2021 for his final season. Early life Villanueva was born on Naval Air Station Meridian in Meridian, Mississippi, to Ignacio Villanueva, a Spanish Naval officer who worked for NATO, and his Spanish wife Matilde Martín. Both his mother and father are over tall. Alejandro is the eldest of the family's four children, including siblings Carmen, Iñaki and Paloma. During his childhood, he lived in Rhode Island, Spain, and Belgium. In Spain he learned to play rugby, which, for a time, he preferred to football, which he began to play in Belgium. It was while he was attending SHAPE High School in Casteau, Belgium that he was recruited to play American football. Villanueva's childhood friend whom he'd met at SHAPE was recruited to play football for the Army Black Knights and his friend told the Army coaches about Villanueva. They kept in touch and Villanueva told him that he was considering attending West Point, where he later enrolled. His brother Iñaki Villanueva is a professional rugby union player. He plays with the Spain national rugby union team and with the sevens team. He was in the squad that qualified for the 2016 Olympics, and he played in the Olympic tournament. College career Villanueva played college football for the Army Black Knights at several positions, including left tackle, defensive lineman, and wide receiver. Though originally recruited as a tight end, he played defensive end during his freshman season, mostly on special teams. In his sophomore season offensive line coach John Tice lobbied to have Villanueva converted to an offensive tackle which occurred near the end of his sophomore year. By his junior season he started every game at left tackle. Voted a team captain before his senior year, he reluctantly converted once more to become a wide receiver;