US Army
Statiel announced that each player would wear the name Antoine Rose on their helmets this season, but offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva did not.
Instead, Vilnueva honored Alvin Kashe, a U.S. Army sergeant who died of his injuries in Iraq in 2005.
Kashe certainly deserves respect. October In October 2005, he was in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle that collided with an improvised explosive device. He drove the vehicle out with only minor injuries, but the vehicle caught fire with other wounded soldiers inside, so the rebels retreated several times to the vehicle and rescued all six of its comrades. In the process of rescuing the soldiers, Kash burned 72 percent of his body, and he died three weeks later.
Kashe was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, but there has been a move to give Kashe the highest military award, the medal Hon Nar. Villanueva’s decision will focus on that movement.
Not everyone is happy with Villanueva’s decision. The NFL has said only pre-approved names may appear on helmets this year, and recognized names will be for victims of racial injustice. Cash was not on the NFL’s pre-approved list and, although he was black, Villanueva was being honored for his military prowess, as he was not a victim of racial injustice.
Among the critics of Villanueva was Michelle Kenny, the mother of Antov Rose and Rose, who wrote on Facebook that Villanueva’s decision should make the positive situation negative.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers voted for the team. Naturally one person didn’t like the result so he chose to do something different. I have nothing against veterinarians and fully appreciate everything they have done and will continue to do for us. But this one guy showed us exactly who he was and apparently he didn’t approve of how the vote turned out.
Rose was a 17-year-old black boy who was shot in the back by a white East Pittsburgh police officer while driving a car he was a passenger in when he was pulled over as part of a drive-by shooting investigation. The officer, Michael Rosfeld, was charged with murder, but was not convicted by a jury of nine white jurors and three black jurors.
Steelers coach Mike Tomley said that although the Villanueva team did not go along with the decision, they still support Villanueva.
This is not the first time that Villanueva has taken the team fast. In 2017, when Tomlin asked the entire team to stay in the locker room for the national anthem, Villanueva stepped out of the locker room and stood and saluted. Vilnueva, who plays college football in the Army, served in Afghanistan before playing in the NFL.
