Football

Alabama linemen Olaus Alinen, Kadyn Proctor get baptized ahead of freshman season

By Joshua Doering Jul 17, 2023
Alabama offensive linemen Olaus Alinen (far left) and Kadyn Proctor (second from right) got baptized on July 16, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Twitter/@KadynProctor1)

One of the defining moments of Olaus Alinen’s and Kadyn Proctor’s lives happened before they even played a single down at the University of Alabama. The two freshman offensive linemen publicly professed their faith in Christ by getting baptized Sunday.

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Both celebrated on social media afterward, with Proctor saying he did “something very special today” and giving “all praise to my GOD above.”

Alinen declared, “Today I committed my life to Jesus Christ,” and included Acts 22:16 in his tweet. The verse reads, “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”

He also posted a photo of he and Proctor praying together in the pool where they were baptized.

Proctor is a consensus top-10 recruit and was ranked as the best offensive tackle prospect in the country by both Rivals and 247 Sports for the Class of 2023. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, he was originally committed to the University of Iowa before flipping to the Crimson Tide. He is expected to start right away at one of the two tackle positions.

Alinen is from Pori, Finland, and played at The Loomis Chaffe School in Connecticut after moving to the U.S. before his junior year of high school. ESPN, Rivals and 247 Sports all have him as a four-star recruit and the top player in Connecticut. His father, Klaus, played in NFL Europe and spent a season on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad.

Listed in Alinen’s Instagram bio is Psalm 34:4, which reads, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

Alabama is coming off an 11-2 year that included a win over Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl. The Crimson Tide ended the year ranked fifth in the AP poll, and are ranked among the top five in most 2023 preseason polls. Alabama begins its season Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee State.

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