A big Finnish name in American football Olaus Alinen has been able to spend the last few weeks on a well-deserved vacation in Finland after his first university term. Born in Pori, Alinen, 20, played in four games in his first season in the university team of the successful and legendary Alabama Crimson Tide.
Alinen received a scholarship offer from no less than 46 schools, and the choice focused on Alabama. The Crimson Tide is an 18-time varsity champion, and every minute on the court is hard work.
– The first year went really well, and there was a lot of positive development. The fact that I got playing experience in four games is not really a given in Yankee football in Alabama, states Alinen.
– In my age group, we have more than 20 guys who didn’t even play a game. Something positive has been seen there, and we have gone in the right direction.
Alinen moved to the United States already in high school, but jumping from high school to university games is not an easy place for a newcomer. The competition is fierce, and things have to be adopted quickly.
– The level difference is really high and the game change is huge when you come from high school and go there. There are guys who have been there for four to five years already.
– Development must happen very quickly with understanding of the game, game speed and power levels. It’s a challenging place, but of course there are resources there and the opportunity to see development as well.
The everyday life of a university athlete is hard, and you have to take care of your studies. During the season, the days get longer.
– The schedules are changing a little now with the new head coach, but usually it is that if there is a morning class day, it is at 6:30. After that, there is school from nine to twelve, and after that meetings and training.
– Sometimes there might still be a tutoring session or similar at seven o’clock in the evening after that.
Home games with 100,000 spectators ignite
Alinen, who played as an outside offensive lineman, believes that the number of games and responsibility will increase next season. So far, everything has gone largely as expected.
– I believe, hope and even assume that more playing time is coming. I’m in such a position after spring that it should happen.
– We have a few older guys who will go to the NFL draft after next season. Then, in the third year, there are many places open.
Alabama plays its home games in the city of Tuscaloosa at Bryant-Denny Stadium. University-level Jenkkifutis is hugely followed in the United States, and home games are always sold out, i.e. slightly more than 100,000 spectators.
– It’s incredible. It gives you a great feeling, and you can’t really get such experiences any other way.
Alabama, which lost only one of its 13 games last season, was selected to participate in the NCAA semifinals as one of the top four teams, and Alinen got to experience the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, i.e. the semifinal game traditionally played in Pasadena, California.
Alabama lost to Michigan, ranked number one and eventually winning the championship, 20–27. Alinen did not play, but the experience in front of more than 96,000 spectators was memorable.
– I was really excited to hear that we are playing in the playoffs and the Rose Bowl. We were already there a week before the match, and everything great had been arranged there, Alinen expressed the atmosphere.
– The place is historic, and the event had an incredible feeling. A great experience, although it was a bit lacking for us in terms of gameplay.
“All things separate me from an NFL player”
As noted, Alabama is the crown jewel of Yankee football and has been referred to as the “Real Madrid of the college world,” churning out players from the pipeline to the NFL. Alinen says that 12 players from last season’s team have left to pursue a place in the NFL.
Although the NFL is still a long way off, it has already become more of a reality than a dream.
– Now I’ve actually seen that the guys I’ve trained with, played in the same position or played against are going to the NFL. It gives a really realistic feeling when you see something like that.
Alinen still doesn’t give in to flirting, and the steps towards the NFL dream are determined, but calm. He has a very precise understanding of where he is going as a player.
No Finnish-born player has yet made his way onto an NFL team, although the son of a Finnish mother Tyler Varga was the first Finn to play three regular season games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2015. Reaching the toughest league in the world requires a lot of work and a lot of sacrifices.
– All things still separate me from an NFL player. Maybe the only thing that doesn’t differ is that I’m probably the size of an NFL player (two meters, 140 kilograms), second-generation player Alinen says.
– I don’t have the same speed, reactions or understanding of the sport yet. The NFL is a completely different level, but hopefully in two or three years that level will have been caught. I will probably play three more seasons at Alabama.
Recovery and rest became necessary
Alabama players are big stars on campus, but on school days, players are understood to be left alone. Although the competition is fierce and everyone wants to advance in their careers, Alinen praises the team’s team spirit.
– It’s really hard and the competition is pretty tough, but you can’t think of it like that when we’re together from morning to night every day.
– The competition stays on the field, and otherwise we are really cool among everyone.
Alinen is traveling back to the United States at the end of May, and there are hard running and punt training ahead, as well as a couple of summer courses. Even though training has not stopped in Finland either, the time at home has offered much-needed recovery time.
– I have spent time with family and loved ones. This is an important time to recover mentally and physically, as there are no breaks planned until spring break next March.