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Article snippet: When Alejandro Villanueva, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting left tackle, arrived at West Point for cadet basic training in the summer of 2006, he already stood out — and not just because he was bigger than anyone else. Even in a corps of cadets that typically includes a decent number of valedictorians, class presidents and team captains, older students thought Villanueva was unusually “squared away” for a new plebe. “He was never in trouble, and he always seemed to be doing better than everyone else,” said Capt. Daniel Harrison, who, three years ahead of Villanueva, was his company commander during part of that summer’s basic training. Typical of Cadet Villanueva, recalled Harrison, was that he was the first plebe to take off his gas mask and breathe the burning air during a mandatory tear-gas drill. “Even then he seemed to be a leader among his peers,” Harrison said. Villanueva, now 29, starred at West Point, where he started at left tackle every game in 2008 but played as a receiver in 2009, leading the team in catches and receiving yards. The next few years were even more of a whirlwind: winning a Bronze Star for valor as a platoon leader in Afghanistan; completing Ranger school, the Army’s premier leadership course and one of the most challenging tests in the military; serving two more tours in Afghanistan in the elite Ranger Regiment; and eventually winning a starting job and a four-year, $24 million contract with the Steelers. Now, Villanueva has one more ... Link to the full article to read more