Whether he can play football or not at the NFL level certainly remains to be seen, but Alejandro Villanueva -- the 6 foot, 9 inch, 275 pound defensive lineman who spent the past four years in the Army -- is a total badass.
CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank documents the impressive West Point alum's record:
- spent the last four years in the Army
- served three tours in Afghanistan
- earned a Bronze Star for his service
- completed Infantry Officer Basic Course, Basic Airborne Course and the U.S. Army Ranger Course at Fort Benning, Ga.
- was a Rifle Platoon Leader for 12 months in Afghanistan
- later became a Rifle Company Executive Officer
- did we mention he's 6-foot-9?
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And now he's going to try and make an NFL roster.
Villanueva hasn't played football since 2009. That was the year Pedro Martinez was pitching for the Phillies in the World Series if you can't remember that far back. He was a wide receiver then for Army.
After discussing the signing with our resident Eagles guru, Kulp, the thing we both wondered most was how a guy who is 6-foot-9 could keep a low profile in a war zone like Afghanistan. That's must be a skill in its own right.
The Eagles may be taking a shot in the dark on this signing but it'll certainly make for some interesting camp tales.
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