Which NFL Player Didn't Protest The National Anthem? Meet Steelers' OL Alejandro Villanueva

Fewer than 10 NFL players protested the national anthem last week. On Sunday, that number ballooned to roughly 200 as white and black players, as well as owners, protested in solidarity following President Donald Trump's vitriolic NFL comments on Twitter about firing or suspending players.

But one player chose to stand alone outside a tunnel, electing to not take part in the protest. With his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates standing 20 feet behind him and hidden from cameras, offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva stood in plain view at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Cameras showed Villanueva, a former Army Ranger who served three tours in Afghanistan and earned two Bronze Stars, with his hand over his heart, while mouthing the words to the "Star Spangled Banner." The video of Villanueva was uploaded on YouTube by American Military Times, and has over 1,200 comments and nearly a half-million views.

Many have taken notice of Villanueva's protest. Online retailer Fanatics told ESPN that the hottest selling gear over the past 24 hours were Villanueva shirts and jerseys.

Villanueva, 29, was born in Meridian, Mississippi, and spent time in Rhode Island, Spain and Belgium before joining the U.S. Military Academy. Listed at 6-foot-9 and 320 pounds, Villanueva went undrafted in 2010. A year later, he would serve in Kandahar Province, one of the most dangerous areas in Afghanistan.

He would eventually be signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in May 2014. After being cut by the Eagles, he was signed in August 2014 by the Steelers and ended up starting 10 games in 2015, 16 games in 2016 and all three games in 2017. In July, he signed a four-year, $24 million deal.

Many have seen Villanueva in television advertisements for investment banking firm USAA. He also has garnered plenty of media attention for his path to the NFL. Esquire's 1,500-word profile of Villanueva came with the headline: "A Real, Honest-to-Goodness, No Exaggeration, Full-On Hero in the NFL."

Both of Villanueva's parents are natives of Spain. Villanueva's father was a naval officer for NATO, a military alliance Trump has threatened with a U.S. pull out.

In an August interview with the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore about the protest of Colin Kaepernick, Villanueva suggested there is plenty of gray area when it comes to perspectives on politics and sports.

"I don’t think anybody has the right answer right now," said Villanueva. "You can’t make a statement and say it’s 100 percent right, regardless of what political affiliation you’re falling under. You try to make the best of the things you have in front of you. I don’t think I’m right for saying the things that I say. I just have an opinion."