Alejandro Villanueva has made the transition from Army Ranger to Steelers' offensive tackle, but his time in the military, and those he met along the way, will always be special to him.
Villanueva served three tours of duty in Afghanistan, and during that time he formed a bond with Mohammad Arif Azimi, his Afghan interpreter. It's a bond that like the one with his Steelers and military brothers, will never be broken.
And it's a bond that will be featured on ESPN SportsCenter on Saturday, Feb. 11 during the 11 p.m. (ET) edition.
The SportsCenter feature, 'Brothers in Arms,' will focus on the relationship the two had and reconnect the two, who haven't seen each other since 2012. Azimi's life was in danger after U.S. troops left Afghanistan because of him helping American soldiers. Villanueva stepped up and helped Azimi to immigrate to the United States 16 months ago on a special immigrant visa. The two reconnected when Villanueva was in Houston for Super Bowl LI, and SportsCenter captured the incredible reunion.
In addition to debuting on Feb. 11, it will be shown during SportsCenter broadcasts on Feb. 12.
