After three years at Alabama, offensive lineman Olaus Alinen decided he was ready for a change and even though he had no prior connections with the Kentucky coach staff, he quickly decided UK was the right transfer spot for him.
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound Finland native was recruited by Kentucky’s previous staff when he came to the United States to play at Loomis Chaffee — a prep school in Connecticut. Kentucky offered him a scholarship between his freshman and sophomore years but he eventually picked Alabama over Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and Oregon. He was a four-star recruit and top 200 player nationally.
“Kentucky was definitely one of the first schools to reach out after I decided to look for another opportunity,” said Alinen. “I didn’t really know the coaches but I enjoyed getting to know them.”
Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan and offensive line coach Cutter Leftwich didn’t need long to make a favorable impression on Alinen.
“Probably about 20 schools reached out and it was definitely more hectic than I thought it would be. I was glad to see I had good options but coach Cutter and coach Sloan really stood out,” the offensive lineman said.
Alinen redshirted his first year at Alabama and played mainly special teams the last two seasons. He said he got “bigger, stronger, faster” with the Alabama strength staff.
“I also got to hone my skills going against great competition every day. I was primarily a guard most of the time and I am more naturally comfortable at guard but I can also play tackle if needed,” he said.
Alinen’s father, Klaus, was the first Finnish player to ever sign a NFL contract and played for Berlin in NFL Europe from 2003-2005 and spent a year on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad.
“My dad’s uncle also played football and that’s where my dad picked it up,” Alinen said. “Football in Finland is small and not played at a high level. My dad was pretty old when he started playing and to see him make it at the highest level was a huge inspiration to me. He has always been a great mentor to me in every way possible about how to be a man.”
Alinen was part of a college football playoff team last season while UK went a combined 9-15 the last two seasons under former coach Mark Stoops. Alinen believes Stein is already “building something different” at Kentucky.
“The culture he is establishing and what we are doing to do will be amazing with the guys he is bringing in. You can see the history of him being successful and winning. He has a of guys on the staff who have a lot of experience with winning even in places that have not always traditionally won,” Alinen said. “In college football these days a lot can change in one offseason. We have seen it with Indiana. Anything is possible if you have the right mindset.”
Alinen, 22, did not know any of his teammates when he got to Kentucky (he played with twins Jerod and Jacob Smith in Connecticut but they transferred to Louisville earlier this month). However, he’s used to coping with new situations.
“I went to another country alone and had to figure out how to get a place to live, get a driver’s license, get a visa, pay taxes and figure out how to handle everything on my own,” the UK offensive lineman said. “It has all been a big maturity experience for me that is setting me up to be successful for the rest of my life.”
He only gets to go back home about once a year after spring practice but says his parents are excited about him being at Kentucky.
“They are excited to see what Kentucky is like and come to games. They are fully supportive of this move and wanted me to do what was best for my playing career,” he said. “I was looking for the right fit and opportunity for me. Coach Cutter is an awesome coach who does a great job developing players. He’s a down to earth guy. The whole system suits me well and I think I am the type of player who can thrive in this offense.
“I try to pride myself as someone who knows the offense completely and knows what everyone around me is doing. That makes my job easier. I want to be nasty and move people around but also fluid in pass protection.”
He’s also not worried about a new group of offensive linemen meshing into a functional unit before the season starts. Kentucky has also added left tackle Lance Heard of Tennessee, center Coleton Price of Baylor, guard Tegra Tshabola of Ohio State, tackle Mark Robinson of UTEP and guard Max Anderson of Tennessee.
“I think it is cool we are all coming in as new guys together,” Alinen said. “We do not know a lot of people in Lexington in general so we will lean on each other and do things together. That will develop bonds and hopefully we will be the most dynamic group on the team.”
