Alejandro Villanueva, the former Army Ranger now entering his third year on the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line, will return to combat this November.
Sort of.
Villanueva’s likeness, and that of Pittsburgh teammate Le’Veon Bell, will appear in “Call of Duty: WWII,” the latest edition of the popular video game franchise, which hits all platforms Nov. 3. Bell showed off his virtual look, and his teammate’s imposing 1940s-era figure, in a social media post:
me & big Al are in @CallofDuty: WWII! its truly a blessing and an honor to be apart of my favorite game. #CallOfDutyPartner pic.twitter.com/NMn1kdEiwv
— Le'Veon Bell (@L_Bell26) September 19, 2017
Villanueva’s character works on the firing range in the game’s “Headquarters” mode, where players can tackle training exercises and interact with fellow gamers, he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The West Point graduate called his portrayal “very accurate” and praised Sledgehammer Games, the studio behind the title, for its attention to detail.
(He also told the paper he was a frequent “Call of Duty” player long before this version, discussing how he and fellow 75th Ranger Regiment members would “do the REAL call of duty, and then we would all get in one room to play ‘'Call of Duty'" after a mission.)
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Villanueva, who earned a Bronze Star with “V” device during one of his multiple Afghanistan deployments, signed a four-year contract with the Steelers prior to the start of the NFL season, reportedly worth $24 million.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.
