When you are honing your craft in sports, you must go against quality competition to make yourself a better player. Going against a bunch of mediocre guys isn’t going to do the job if you want to become a quality player, especially in the National Football League.
This was the case for former Steelers OT Alejandro Villanueva, who jumped on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce to talk about his journey to making it in the league and playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. When talking about his time in Pittsburgh, Villanueva mentioned a defining moment for him and his career going against a Steelers all-time great: James Harrison.
“Honestly, what I thought made my career, my confidence at the tackle position was the fact that three days into my practice squad days, James Harrison decides to come out of retirement for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Villanueva told the Kelces. “So, I had a chance to go against James Harrison every single day in practice. James Harrison was an incredible human being in his own ways, but he’s a phenomenal football player. He’s very smart. So, for me, it was really interesting to observe and outside linebacker by going against James Harrison.”
Harrison is Pittsburgh’s all-time sack leader with 80.5 and was a skilled pass rusher during his playing days. His size and strength made him difficult to block for most OTs, especially those who were taller as he would play low to the ground and get up under their pads to control them throughout the rep. His dip/rip move was legendary. He would lean into the blocker and use momentum as well has his physicality to turn the corner through the blocker’s outside shoulder into the pocket as he hunted the QB.
“So, for me, I spent a full season on the practice squad, blocking him, blocking him,” Villanueva said. “Once I felt I could block him, I would say to him if I faced him in a game, I would block him.”
Harrison had to fight to make an NFL roster, and eventually stuck with Pittsburgh. The same was the case for Villanueva, who oddly enough made his way in the league by going against a player with a similar unconventional path to the NFL daily in practice. Having the opportunity to rep his craft and technique daily to the point where he could block one of Pittsburgh’s best pass rushers, Villanueva developed into a quality starting left tackle. He protected the blind side of Ben Roethlisberger for six seasons, becoming arguably Pittsburgh’s best left tackle in franchise history.
