Instead, Villanueva honored Alwyn Cashe, a U.S. Army sergeant who died of injuries suffered in Iraq in 2005.
Amongst those slamming Villanueva was the mom of Antwon Rose, Michelle Kenney, who wrote on Facebook that Villanuevas choice turned what need to have been a positive scenario into an unfavorable.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said that although Villanueva did not go along with a decision the team made collectively, he still supports Villanueva.
This is not the first time Villanueva has bucked the team. In 2017, when Tomlin informed the entire team to stay in the locker room for the nationwide anthem, Villanueva stepped outside the locker space and stood and saluted. Villanueva, who played his college football at Army, served in Afghanistan before playing in the NFL.
Cashe is certainly worthy of being honored. In October of 2005, he remained in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle that struck an improvised explosive device. He exited the automobile with only small injuries, however the lorry was on fire with other injured soldiers inside, so he returned to the burning automobile several times to pull his fellow soldiers out, saving 6 soldiers in all. In the procedure of rescuing those soldiers, Cashe was burned over 72 percent of his body, and he passed away of those burns 3 weeks later on.
U.S. Army
Not everybody is pleased with Villanuevas choice. Cashe was not on the NFLs pre-approved list and, although he was black, Villanueva was honoring him for his military heroism, not for having actually been a victim of racial injustice.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers took a group vote. Obviously one individual didnt like the results so they picked to do something different.
Cashe was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, however there has been a movement to provide Cashe the armed forces greatest award, the Medal of Honor. Villanuevas choice will bring attention to that movement.
Not everyone mores than happy with Villanuevas decision. The NFL has stated that only pre-approved names might appear on helmets this year, and that the names recognized would be for victims of racial injustice. Cashe was not on the NFLs pre-approved list and, although he was black, Villanueva was honoring him for his military heroism, not for having been a victim of racial oppression.
Rose was a 17-year-old black boy who was fatally shot in the back by a white East Pittsburgh cops officer while fleing after the vehicle he was a guest in was pulled over as part of an examination into a drive-by shooting. The officer, Michael Rosfeld, was charged with murder however discovered not guilty by a jury comprised of 9 white jurors and 3 black jurors.
The Steelers announced that every gamer would use the name of Antwon Rose on their helmets this season, but offending lineman Alejandro Villanueva did not.
In 2017, when Tomlin informed the whole team to stay in the locker room for the nationwide anthem, Villanueva stepped outside the locker space and stood and saluted. Villanueva, who played his college football at Army, served in Afghanistan before playing in the NFL.
