To Alejandro Villanueva, Christmas was just like his birthday.

It was like the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and any other holiday — just an ordinary run-of-the-mill day.

Nothing special. No celebration. No fancy dinner.

Most of the time, it came and went with nothing much more than a passing mention.

And it was totally understandable.

Villanueva, a mammoth 6-foot-9, 330-pound practice squad tackle for the Steelers, spent three of the past four Christmas Days in Afghanistan as a rifle platoon leader for the Army Rangers, treating the holiday just like any other day.

“All the Christmas spirit is sucked out of it over there,” Villanueva said. “It's just another day. It was fine.

“Sometimes, Afghanistan was a pretty special place to be. I was always one of those guys who felt that I was in the right place, and I was exactly where I wanted to be. Maybe my Christmas spirit is a little dead, and maybe I can regain that over the next couple of years.”

If he stays with the Steelers, he won't have much choice.

First, veteran defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau recited his rendition of “T'was the Night Before Christmas” to the team. A couple of days before that, the offensive linemen exchanged gifts via Secret Santa. Villanueva politely opted out.

“I asked him about (Christmas), and he is kind of numb to it,” guard Ramon Foster said. “It was kind of unsettling to me. It's good for him to see how we do it around here.”

Villanueva will spend Christmas Day in Calvert County, Md., with his wife of just more than a year, Madelyn.

“I am happy he is over here with us in the States this year,” tackle Kelvin Beachum said.

Villanueva already has accomplished a lifetime of achievements but none of them on a professional football field.

The son of a Naval officer, Villanueva played only two years of high school football, both in Belgium before enlisting in the Army.

He played left tackle his junior year with the Army before being switched to receiver. In 2009, Villanueva caught five touchdown passes.

Before Villanueva graduated from the military academy, he worked out for the Bengals. Then, after his first deployment, he performed at a West Point pro day and tried out with the Bears. But Villanueva still was under commitment to serve.

Villanueva was commissioned in 2010 and eventually assigned to the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y. He had three deployments (2011, 2012 and 2013) as a rifle platoon leader of the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment and 3rd Brigade Combat Team. He earned the Bronze Star for rescuing wounded soldiers while under fire in Afghanistan.

Villanueva's teammates ask him a lot of questions about his past.

“We don't go that deep,” Beachum said. “We asked him about some of the testing he had to go through to get into the military. What separates somebody going into the infantry and stuff like that?

“We talked to him all the time about what it is like to serve the country. We realize how important it is to him.”

While serving, Villanueva never lost his passion for football. While in Afghanistan, Villanueva routinely took part in pickup games on the HLZ (helicopter landing zone). At 6-9, he was a quarterback and cornerback.

“The first quarter was usually friendly, but by the end of the game we are tackling,” Villanueva said.

When he returned after his third deployment, Villanueva wanted to try football one more time.

In March, Villanueva paid $245 to attend an NFL regional combine in Georgia, and he became one of 240 players invited to April's super regional combine in Detroit, where he met with Eagles representatives.

After a private workout the following month, the Eagles signed Villanueva and moved him to defensive end.

When it didn't work out in Philadelphia and Villanueva was released in August, the Steelers signed him to their practice squad and moved him back to the offensive line, where he has been the past four months.

“It is challenging to learn during the season because of all the focus on the starters,” Villanueva said. “The exposure of being with the guys and learning the technique stuff has been awesome.

“To where I started to now has been great. I have to a lot of look forward to for next year.”

Villanueva still is connected to the military. He serves in the Army Reserves. He doesn't have any responsibilities now, but he will return to drills one weekend a month starting in the offseason.

“He works hard,” Beachum said. “He comes to practice early and stays late. We will see, but he has a good chance to be successful.”

Mark Kaboly is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at mkaboly@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MarkKaboly_Trib

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