Only one Pittsburgh Steelers player was present for “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to the team’s matchup with the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field.
Steelers offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva, a United States Army veteran, observed the national anthem on the field while the rest of his teammates remained in the tunnel. While Villanueva’s stance was seen by many as an act of defiance, the veteran lineman put that idea to rest Monday.
Speaking with the Pittsburgh media, Villanueva revealed the Steelers’ initial plan was to stand together in the locker room as a sign of unity. Villanueva later requested to tweak the plan, asking quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the rest of the Steelers’ captains to stand in front of the tunnel.
But as Roethlisberger explained Monday, “pregame chaos” prevented the plan from taking place, leaving Villanueva standing by himself.
“Every single time I see that picture of me standing by myself, I feel embarrassed,” Villanueva said, via Sean Gentille of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We butchered our plan.”
Villanueva further explained why the plan went wrong.
“When we came out of the locker room into that tunnel, it was a very small area,” he said. “There was a flag or something coming off the field so there were a bunch of Bears fans, coming off the field holding that (and) going in front of us, so it kind of held us up.”
Protests during the national anthem were a common theme over the course of Sunday’s slate of NFL games. Seventeen New England Patriots knelt for the anthem, while neither the Seattle Seahawks nor the Tennessee Titans took the field for the pregame ceremony prior to their Week 3 game at Nissan Stadium.
While it certainly makes sense why Villanueva would want to be present for the anthem, he has no issue with players using the moment as a means of protest.
“I take no offense,” Villanueva said. “I don’t think veterans at the end of the day take any offense. They actually signed up and fought so that somebody could take a knee and protest peacefully whatever it is that their hearts desire.”
Reports circulated saying several members of the Steelers were “surprised” by Villanueva standing alone, but it apparently hasn’t caused any strife in Pittsburgh’s locker room.
“I made coach Tomlin look bad, and that is my fault and my fault only,” Villanueva said. “I made my teammates look bad, and that is my fault and my fault only.
“When everybody sees an image of me standing by myself, everybody thinks that the team and Steelers are not behind me, and that’s absolutely wrong. It’s quite the opposite. Actually, the entire team would’ve been out there with me, even the ones that wanted to take a knee.”
Thumbnail photo via Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports Images
