When Alejandro Villanueva, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting left tackle, arrived at West Point for cadet basic training in the summer of 2006, he already stood out — and not just because he was bigger than anyone else.

Even in a corps of cadets that typically includes a decent number of valedictorians, class presidents and team captains, older students thought Villanueva was unusually “squared away” for a new plebe.

“He was never in trouble, and he always seemed to be doing better than everyone else,” said Capt. Daniel Harrison, who, three years ahead of Villanueva, was his company commander during part of that summer’s basic training.

Typical of Cadet Villanueva, recalled Harrison, was that he was the first plebe to take off his gas mask and breathe the burning air during a mandatory tear-gas drill. “Even then he seemed to be a leader among his peers,” Harrison said.