Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle and Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva recently reflected on the national anthem incident in Chicago during the 2017 season. It was a tumultuous time in the NFL and the country.
Villanueva was the only Steelers player standing outside of the tunnel during the national anthem in Week 3 at Soldier Field during a game against the Bears. The team agreed to stay in the tunnel to not create a distraction and separation with players standing or kneeling in protest of social injustice and police brutality. They wanted unity, but Villanueva was the only player standing outside of the tunnel for the national anthem.
Villanueva was criticized and praised for his decision to be the only Steelers player out for the national anthem. He ended up having the NFL’s highest-selling jersey in the 24 hours after the incident.
During an appearance on The Pump Fake Podcast with Jarrett Bailey and former Steelers offensvie coordinator Todd Haley , Villanueva reflected on that September afternoon in Chicago and why the national anthem means so much to him.
“In Spain, my parents grew up in a dictatorship,” Villanueva said. “A military dictatorship… there’s not a single song that unites Spanish people. You cannot listen to anything that people will listen to and say, ‘I’m thankful.‘ So that’s how I started understanding American patriotism. It’s not nationalistic as in we believe America is better than everybody else. Americans really think that we are very thankful to be in America. That’s what’s so cool about it. People are watching the game from different socioeconomic backgrounds. You could be in the box and have billions of dollars or you can be in the nosebleeds counting your pennies for the eight beers you’ll be drinking. And those two people have this idea and this notion that they live in a wonderful magical place… the national anthem is a very special song. I know it was a huge controversy and it was very confusing because we were getting ready for a game and we were debating morality… it was very intense.”
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said after the incident that he regretted the team’s decision to stay in the locker room.
“The idea was to be unified as a team when so much attention is paid to things dividing our country, but I wish we approached it differently. We did not want to appear divided on the sideline with some standing and some kneeling or sitting,” he said in a statement.
Bears players and coaches locked arms as a team along the sidelines as a sign of solidarity prior to their game. The league-wide protest came after President Donald Trump called on NFL players who refused to stand for the anthem to be fired.
“As a team, it was not a protest of the flag or the anthem. I personally don’t believe the Anthem is ever the time to make any type of protest,” Roethlisberger continued. “For me, and many others on my team and around the league, it is a tribute to those who commit to serve and protect our country, current and past, especially the ones that made the ultimate sacrifice.
“I appreciate the unique diversity in my team and throughout the league and completely support the call for social change and the pursuit of true equality. Moving forward, I hope standing for the Anthem shows solidarity as a nation, that we stand united in respect for the people on the front lines protecting our freedom and keeping us safe. God bless those men and women.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Former Steelers Offensive Tackle Alejandro Villanueva Opens Up on National Anthem Incident
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