Michigan State 2023 Target: Olaus Alinen Flying From Finland
Living in Pori, Finland, offensive tackle, Olaus Alinen has been receiving offers from the other side of the world; receiving an offer from Michigan State on Oct. 5.
“It’s very rare. It’s got that extra feeling because it’s so rare and hard.”
Alinen has received quite a handful of offers in the United States.
One factor that has helped Alinen receive offers from worldwide is, his size.
“It’s a big factor why colleges are interested in me. It allows me to go to the next level in the NFL, because big colleges recruit players who have NFL potential.”
Using size to his advantage, him and his current teammates have a strategy every play.
“We pancake people. This is our biggest talk; we have a goal that we have to do two pancakes every play in the game. We drive them and fall over them.”
Being 6-7 and 325-pounds, Alinen has tremendous size to take down any opponent in his way.
“I have to generate that type of power, that you can move large amounts of weight; when you can get all those things right, it’s definitely a huge advantage.”
Alinen has gained great experience by playing with Finland’s U17 and U19 National teams.
“They are a really great program. You would get good coaching there that you wouldn’t probably get at a local club; the playing experience against other European players. We were in Italy last July, and played against France, Norway, and Spain. It was a growing experience.”
While Alinen has had great experience in Finland, there’s not that much football compared to the U.S.
“It seems like Michigan State has a great coaching staff with great experience, it’s a Big Ten football program so, it’s always great having a school in a big conference.”
Not being in the U.S. since he was three, Alinen knows there’s differences in the culture between Finland and the U.S.
“There’s a lot of differences. We’re the happiest country in the world, by studies; the biggest coffee consumers; it’s dark here for most of the year, but in the summer there’s twenty-four-seven light. We have a great education system that is free, even universities are free, we have a free health care, and basically everything is free. We have high taxes, but I think it’s a great system.”
Compared to the average person in the U.S., Alinen definitely follows Finland’s trend of being a large coffee consumer. Drinking it every day.
“I love my coffee; mostly in the morning, maybe after lunch, as a snack, maybe after dinner. I tend to stop drinking coffee at least after 6 p.m.”
Where Finland drinks coffee more leisurely, Alinen knows it’s not quite the same in the U.S.
“I understand the difference. The U.S. may just drink coffee in a hurry like, in the car or on the way to work. We value our coffee. After lunch, we have a break for coffee from school, it’s the best part of the day to sit there and drink coffee and talk about the day.”
With these differences, Alinen is still more excited than nervous to come back to the U.S.
“I am studying in Loomis Chaffee in Connecticut, and I am doing online classes. I should be coming in at least January, as soon as I can. I hope that.”
He is ready to come to the U.S. and pancake whatever is in his way.
“The idea of playing football for me is to learn the game so well, so when I’m on the football field I can just enjoy the best game in the world and have fun with me teammates.”
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