Army Rangers react to Alejandro Villanueva’s solo appearance for NFL national anthem

The image of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva standing at attention Sunday, his right hand covering his heart, is the latest chapter in a national debate.

Villanueva’s actions came as NFL players, coaches and owners across the country reacted to remarks by President Donald Trump’s condemnation of players who protest by taking a knee during the national anthem.

While Villanueva may be a Steeler, he is also the member of another elite team, the U.S. Army Rangers. After earning his Ranger tab at Fort Benning in 2010 following graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he served with the 75th Ranger Regiment, 1st Battalion and did three combat tours to Afghanistan.

Reached Monday, some of his Ranger brothers were proud of Villanueva for taking a stand, but also questioned if he should have stayed in the tunnel with his teammates after a team decision was made not to be on the field during the playing of the anthem.

Army Sgt. Maj. Colin Boley has won the title of Best Ranger and has been active duty for 22 years with 15 deployments, primarily as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment. Boley is also a Pittsburgh native and rabid Steelers fan.

“I commend him on his stance, but I stand firm that it was a team decision to not participate,” Boley said. “As a teammate he should have stood with them in the tunnel. Whether you agree or disagree, that is what the team came up with, not the coach or the owner or the commissioner.”

Villanueva stepped out of the tunnel during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” while his teammates remained under the stadium.

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Curt Arnold, who lives in the Chattahoochee Valley and had six combat deployments, said Boley raises a valid point about Villanueva stepping away from a team decision.

“He felt strongly enough to go against them, so apparently in this case he felt the need to do so,” Arnold said. “I am proud of him, though. ... He did the right thing. It took courage for him to step out there. On the other hand, if in fact the reason the team didn’t go out for the anthem was to prevent anyone from having a stage, well, I applaud that, too.”

The protests started last year when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest inequality for minorities. In August 2016, Villanueva was critical of Kaepernick’s protest.

“I don’t know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that’s providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year ... when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year,” Villanueva said at the time.

Matthew Muraski is a former Army officer and Ranger School graduate. He currently works in New York City, but earned his MBA from Columbus State University.

“First, let’s remember that the kneeling protest is against the police violence against people of color,” Muraski said. “... None of this would have happened if Trump had not pandered to his base about this protest while campaigning for the Alabama Senate race.

“This protest has nothing to do with the sanctity of our flag and what it stands for. If people were concerned about that then they should consult U.S. flag codes and demand that Walmart and other large retailers stop selling flag imprinted plates and napkins. Also people in the South should stop flying the Confederate flag, an enemy of the United States.”

Muraski said he stands with Villanueva and anyone else who wants to exercise their First Amendment right of free speech.

“As an officer I took an oath to defend the Constitution,” he said. “The president attacking someone for rightfully and peacefully exercising their right is an attack on the Constitution and everything that the flag stands for. As for Villanueva, I am sure that he spoke with his coaches and management and thought that it was the right thing to do given his beliefs. We should all stand up for what we believe in no matter the consequences, just like Colin Kaepernick did as well.”

Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Jeff Mellinger served nearly four decades before retiring in 2011. He said there are more pressing issues facing the nation.

“Surely the lives of millions impacted by the hurricanes are more important on a scale of things than this?” he said. “This is a First Amendment issue that has been conflated and blown out of perspective and proportion. There is so much unnecessary emotion over it.”

He said next time you hear the National Anthem being played, watch the crowd.

“People are looking around, don’t have their hands over their hearts — talking, texting, eating, whatever,” he said. “Want to talk sports figures and the anthem? Hockey players shuffle their skates and chew gum, basketball players shift from foot to foot and dribble the ball, football players look around and talk to each other.”

At the end of the day, Boley said, it is a football game and they are football players. And they are not there to protest, he said.

“They are there for one reason and that is to play ball, not to divide the team with individual beliefs and methods of protest,” Boley said.

The issues that are being protested are a matter of interpretation, Boley said.

“Do I think that there are bad cops? Absolutely,” Boley said. “Do I think there is a racism problem? Sure. There are absolutely pockets of racism. But there is pockets of racism on both sides.”

We have to agree there is a problem, Boley said.

“Then we can move forward to fix it rather than staying stagnant on a knee during the anthem of the nation who blankets the mere right for you to do so,” he said.

Arnold argues that the protests have driven only division, not change.

“The only thing that has happened is even more division,” Arnold said. “What is the end game? What are you trying to achieve? What rights do you not have as an American citizen? The answer is none. The guys have forgotten that they are paid handsomely to play a game.”

Arnold said there are three reasons one should hit a knee.

“One, to propose; two, to face out and pull security; and three, to present the flag to the mother, father, husband, wife or child of a fallen soldier,” he said.

This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Army Rangers react to Alejandro Villanueva’s solo appearance for NFL national anthem."