Through tragedy comes triumph for Griz offensive lineman

November 7, 2015, was a very good day to be a Grizzly.

That was the day the Griz pulled victory from the jaws of defeat at Idaho State, taking a miraculous 33-27 overtime win, turning the tide on the season as it entered the home stretch, and igniting Griz playoff fever back home.

But just three days later on November 10, life for one Grizzly would go from the soaring heights of victory, to the depths of despair, helpless as his family went through the toughest period of their lives.

Angel Villanueva was a true freshman at the University of Montana on that day, away from his home in Duarte, Calif., for the first time, giving everything he had to his academics and football, and trying to set a good example for his three younger brothers.

It was supposed to be a day of celebration for the rest of the Villanueva family back in California. That all changed after they returned to their apartment complex after a birthday dinner and turned on the fireplace to keep warm. What happened next changed everything.

A neighbor rushed to the door alerting them of a chimney fire. The family of four made it out of the house fine, but the apartment and everything in it was a total loss.

Angel was in Montana, stuck and helpless, with only the phone to take him back home, as his family's life unraveled before them.

"It was one of the toughest experiences of my life, just knowing that I wasn't able to help out my family in that situation," says Villanueva. "Just having to be with my family over the phone, my mom crying to me and my dad sounding real bummed out. Just being away from them and not being able to do anything about it was the toughest part for me. I was just trying to keep a positive mindset."

The Griz were still in season, and Angel wouldn't be able to get back home to be with his family until the end of the semester.

Those were tough times for the Villanueva family. Angel's mother Nydia and her three younger sons found shelter in a small trailer that was on loan, making ends meet and keeping food on the table while having to commute hours to work her full-time job every day. Angel's father stayed with family on the other side of Los Angeles, doing what he could to help make ends meet as well.

"It was just a bad situation at a bad time, says Angel. "It was tough for them to be going back and forth, back and forth, trying to take care of my brothers at school, leaving at 5 a.m. and coming home at 9, 10 o'clock at night.

"Luckily we had plenty of support from family and friends back home that made it so much better and helped us to get back on our feet. So we're grateful for that."

Now, a year later, Villanueva has rebounded. Losing a family home could be enough to drive someone away from football. But because Angel was stuck in Missoula, helpless as his family suffered, it drove him toward football.

"There was nothing I could do but lean on football and lean on my teammates," he said. "As soon as it happened, the offensive line group was really there for me every single day. 'Man, are you ok?'or just being surrounded by the community and the coaches. They were really supportive of everything I was going through, and it made me realize just how special of a place this is."

Villanueva persevered and continued to work toward becoming the best football player he could be. As a reward, he will start on Saturday as a redshirt freshman against Saint Francis, the only underclassman to earn a start on the offensive line.

Triumph has emerged through tragedy for Villanueva, and it was the family of Griz football that led him there.

"So many coaches talk about family, and it's just talk, and it's really not that way," said Montana head coach Bob Stitt. "We're really trying to promote that family atmosphere and support system, and Angel got to experience that. I hope all of our players feel that way.

"He's taken on the responsibility of being a starting offensive lineman for Montana, which is a huge thing for a young guy. He's really played well, and he's really matured over the last six months.

"I think that situation with the fire made him realize, Hey, I've got a chance to really do something on the football field, and he had to get serious about it. To play early, you have to get serious. He saw the light at the end of the tunnel and he made this happen probably a little faster than it should have."

As Villanueva takes the field as a starter at left guard on Saturday, he'll do so with his head held a little higher, knowing that he gives his family inspiration back in California as they work their way back to normal life.

"It feels great just knowing that I'm able to represent my family," says Angel. "This experience made me want to try that much harder and to give football everything I've got. I'm thankful for the coaches believing in me, and I'm thankful for the offensive linemen guiding me here. Without them, I wouldn't be in the situation I am. I'm just blessed and ready to get after it."

University of Montana Athletics

Through tragedy comes triumph for Griz offensive lineman

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