Last Steeler standing: Player, who is an Army Ranger veteran, has best-selling jersey in the NFL
{$excerpt:n}
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle and former Army Ranger Alejandro Villanueva (78) stands outside the tunnel alone during the national anthem before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Alejandro Villanueva, the only Pittsburgh Steelers player who stood for the national anthem on Sunday, now has one of the best-selling jerseys in the NFL.
According to the sports merchandise website Fanatics, Villanueva holds the honor of having the top-selling jersey for not only the Steelers, but also the entire league.
The top-selling @steelers jersey on @Fanatics this morning. #Villanueva #StandForTheAnthem #StandForTheFlag pic.twitter.com/1bp2DKL3S3
— Dagen McDowell (@dagenmcdowell) September 25, 2017
The Spanish American offensive tackle has become a hero to many over the ongoing protests where some players have taken knees, locked arms with teammates, or stayed in the locker room altogether during the national anthem. The Steelers decided before their game against the Chicago Bears to skip the national anthem altogether and remain in the locker room.
However, Villanueva, who served three tours in Afghanistan with the Army Rangers, broke with his team and stood at the tunnel opening into the field with his hand placed over his heart as the anthem played. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin did not want anyone on his team to participate in the observing the anthem, saying he was looking for “100 percent participation.”
When asked about Villanueva ignoring his order, Tomlin said, “Like I said, I was looking for 100 percent participation, we were gonna be respectful of our football team.”
The protests during the national anthem began with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the 2016-17 season to raise awareness for addressing police brutality and criminal justice reform. However, after President Trump weighed in on the subject, ripping Kaepernick, and referring to him as a “son of a bitch,” the players responded en masse with protests of the national anthem.
Villanueva played football at West Point and earned the Bronze Star Medal for Valor for rescuing wounded soldiers while under enemy fire.
The post Last Steeler standing: Player, who is an Army Ranger veteran, has best-selling jersey in the NFL appeared first on Red Alert Politics.
Source: Red Alert Politics
