One of the more unique NFL careers in recent memory officially came to a close on Wednesday, when Baltimore Ravens tackle Alejandro Villanueva announced his retirement.
After his career at Army finished in 2010, Villanueva had two unsuccessful NFL tryouts while serving. In 2014, he again tried out for the NFL, getting signed by the Philadelphia Eagles. While he was cut in training camp, Villanueva signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He stayed in Pittsburgh through the 2020 season, making the Pro Bowl in 2017 and 2018. He finished his career with the Ravens in 2021.
Of course, Villanueva’s career away from the NFL is well documented as well. He did tours in Afghanistan, served in the Army Rangers and achieved the rank of Captain before leaving the Army.
The news of his retirement drew strong reactions from football fans.
To put it mildly, Villanueva’s one year in Baltimore did not go especially well on the field. With that, some people were happy to hear of his retirement.
Farewell Alejandro Villanueva 😭 pic.twitter.com/qsEgL0tn81
— RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) March 9, 2022
I think every single Ravens fan is pleased with Alejandro Villanueva retiring 😌
— The Ravens Realm (@RealmRavens) March 9, 2022
But while that sentiment was out there, it was far from the only attitude. Other people took to Twitter to congratulate Villanueva on a great career and thank him for everything he’s done.
My best to Alejandro Villanueva as he enters retirement. 2021 wasn’t the year anyone envisioned, but he had a solid NFL career and the leadership he exhibited was impressive after his service in the Army with 3 deployments to Afghanistan & earning the Bronze Star Medal. #Respect
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) March 9, 2022
All the best to former #Steelers LT and Army Hero Alejandro Villanueva who announced his retirement today
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) March 9, 2022
Incredible career and thank you for your service Alejandro Villanueva! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/oUsKEotczG
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 9, 2022
Congrats to Alejandro Villanueva on an excellent NFL career but, more importantly, thank you so much for your service. 🇺🇸
— John Bava III (@JohnBava3) March 9, 2022
And while Villanueva’s NFL career is over, he shouldn’t have any problem staying occupied.
Alejandro Villanueva has a MBA from Carnegie Mellon, so it wouldn't be surprising if he got involved with the business world in his post-career. I'm sure he'll be highly successful at whatever he does next. #Steelers #NFL
— BlitzBurgh (@Blitz_Burgh) March 9, 2022
There have definitely been better NFL players than Villanueva. But few players have had a career that can truly match his in totality, and it’s unlikely that many more ever will.