Alejandro Villanueva Alejandro Villanueva

has no qualms about joining the , the archrival of Villanueva’s former team in Pittsburgh. Villanueva, who recently with Baltimore, said that he is excited to be part of a run-heavy offense after spending the past six seasons with the pa s-happy Steelers.A two-time Pro Bowl left tackle, Villanueva opened up about his challenges during his final season with the . With the T. J. Warren Jersey Steelers’ running attack virtually nonexistent, the Steelers relied heavily on the right arm of quarterback . And while Pittsburgh started 11-0, its lack of balance contributed to the team’s 1-5 finish and first-round playoff exit.”For us as an offensive line in Pittsburgh last year, it was incredibly challenging that we knew that we had to go with these game plans that involved pa sing the ball potentially the entire game,” during Wednesday’s virtual media pre s conference. “The mentality when you have a balanced offense, or when you run the ball, it’s obviously better for an offensive line. I’m a suming it’s not as fun for the wide receivers because they’re not getting all the catches. They’re making their TikToks, and they’re having fun on social media. But for an offensive lineman, it’s definitely an awesome experience.” Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day’s big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. I agree to receive the “Pick Six Newsletter” and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pre sing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the and acknowledge Paramount’s . Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error proce sing your subscription. Villanueva explained the significant disadvantage he and his fellow Pittsburgh offensive linemen faced Edmond Sumner Jersey last season. “When you have to pa s the ball, especially like you had to do last year, it involves an incredible amount of pre sure,” he said. “Because you know the pa s rushers can get into a rhythm. You’re going against , and he’s going to get 10, 15 pa ses in a row to set up moves, to be able to attack every single angle of your body, try different moves. He has 50 to 60 snaps to try everything that he wants to do on Amida Brimah Jersey you. So it becomes very stre sful.”While his final season in Pittsburgh wasn’t a picnic, Villanueva spoke highly about a franchise that gave him a chance seven years ago. A former United States Army Ranger, Villanueva joined the Steelers’ practice squad in 2014. After making the 53-man roster in 2015, Villanueva replaced injured starter in Week 6. He remained in the Steelers’ starting lineup through the 2020 season. Villanueva’s 91 consecutive starts during that span were the most by any Pittsburgh player.”Pittsburgh has always been a cla s-act organization,” Villanueva said, “and they let me know that I was not coming back to the team very shortly after the season.” Villanueva said that the prospect of playing the Steelers (at least) twice a year was part of his motivation with signing with the Ravens. He is also excited to block for former league MVP .”There are certain players in the NFL that truly inspire you to get the best out of you because you see how rare the talent is,” Villanueva said. “I felt that when I was playing with . You always felt energized as an offensive lineman to continue to give your best for that player. I don’t think there’s a doubt in anyone’s mind that when you watch Lamar Jackson play, you want to do everything for him, protect him and continue to see the magic that he displays on the field.”Not only does it make the game of football incredibly fun for the fans and for everybody out there, but it also lets you win a lot of football games.” A left tackle in Pittsburgh, Villanueva is slated to Victor Oladipo Jersey be the Ravens’ right tackle in 2021. Villanueva will be flanked on Baltimore’s starting offensive line by left tackle , left guard , center , and right guard . The unit will look to provide sturdy protection for Jackson and clear running lanes for running backs , and .Villanueva opened up about how his original goal in the NFL was to play one season in order to pay for busine s school. Not only did Villanueva’s NFL career take off, he was able to get his MBA from Carnegie Mellon in 2019. He is now hoping to cap off his career with a championship, something that eluded him during his time in Pittsburgh.”Had there been another war or another conflict, I probably would have never gotten out of the military,” Villanueva said. “I had to make the transition into the civilian world, which is a very, very difficult transition. It’s finding a new identity. It’s finding who you are. It’s finding your pa sions and your purpose, which is not easy to do when you’re 24 years old and the only thing you know is the military. “I thought, if I played one year in the NFL, even if I just fooled some of the coaches who are infatuated with the military, that I’d be able to pay for busine s school. My goal in Pittsburgh Justin Holiday Jersey was to play one year and get out and go to busine s school at one of the top programs and move on with my life. I was able to do both.”
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