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I am using this article series as a way to give back to some (unfortunately not all) of the rookies of the s18 class, who have been so very good to me. Part of that is simply exposure for those whose stories are being told, and part of that is splitting funds with those whose names and words are used herein. That said, I would like to give half of the earnings of this specific article to BaconBrother, who graciously gave me the time for an interview as part of this piece.Previous Piece: Becoming a Seawolf
Stop three on my journey begins in the locker room of the Kansas City Coyotes, still quietly humming with activity. I find my subject settled comfortably into the team sauna, with seemingly no intention of leaving any time soon. I slide myself into the room with the meaty hunk of a linebacker that is Maurice Virtanen (@BaconBrother), and immediately begin to sweat at least as hard as he appears to be; I am not dressed for the heat of a sauna. Fortunately, as I enter, his eyes pop open, and he greets me with a warm smile; once again, thankfully, my interviewee is happy to see me. The 6’2”, 255 Adonis rises to his feet, says, “Let’s talk at my locker,” and strides to the door; given the amount of sweating I’ve already done, I am more than happy to oblige this request.
At Virtanen’s locker, I am quick to get to business. I want to understand how this Finnish freak of nature found his way to football. Virtanen’s father played basketball for the Detroit Pistons, so through middle school, Virtanen was too. However, all that changed just before high school; “I think it was when Baker Mayfield got big,” recalls Virtanen, “that’s when football started to be of serious interest to me”. Virtanen attended a high school specifically focused on shaping student athletes, and within his first year of playing the game, he began to develop into one of the young stars of the Finnish game, initially playing at wide receiver. “My coach, he knew I could do better than the high school team,” Virtanen tells me, taking a seat while he gathers his things, “so he recommended I try out for teams in the Vaahteraliiga; that’s the top league in Finland. And, soon enough, I was playing for the Helsinki Roosters”. However, by Virtanen’s account, the Roosters didn’t like his fit at wide receiver; “They were looking for help on defense, and given my size, they decided I fit best at linebacker. And, well, I can’t say it didn’t work; we did win three championships while I was there”.
Of course, that’s far from the only evidence that the Roosters’ plan worked; during his third year with the team, Virtanen was approached by scouts for Michigan State, asking him to come play linebacker for the Spartans. Once again, Virtanen found success; “I didn’t start for the Spartans until the back half of my freshman year,” he remembers, as we exit the facility headed for his car. “But my sophomore and junior seasons, I played extremely well. We went to back-to-back Redbox Bowls against the Wolverines. The first one, well, I don’t think about it too much, but the second, I took home the defensive MVP award. That’s when I decided it was time to try my hand in this league”.
Virtanen, an international star at this point, declared for the DSFL draft mere days after Michigan State’s Redbox Bowl victory, and his excitement, as his describes it, was limitless. “I was never really fussed about what round I was going to go in, because at the end of the day I knew I’d make my presence felt on the field, and I knew I’d get to show the team that drafted me that they made right choice,” he says, cruising down the highway towards his home, where he claims dinner is waiting for us. “Of course, it was nice to go early, to see a team believe in me, but that is really the cherry on top of it all. I was just pumped overall to see all the talent in this class, myself included, get drafted”. I’m quick to piggyback on that, asking if he expected to go to the Coyotes that early; he chuckles, “Secretly we all want to go in the first round, but like I said, that’s really the cherry on top. As for the Coyotes, I wasn’t really sure at all what team was going to take me, I just wanted the team to believe I could make a difference on their defense and that I could lead that defense in the future, and of course that the locker room and players are able to have fun while playing, because we are all here at the end of the day to enjoy playing football”.
“It feels awesome to be a Coyote, though,” he continues. “Fear the howl! We’re obviously under new management this season but the GMs are doing a really great job and our performance is improving each week. It’s been really nice to be a part of the organization. We have a really good tag-team duo in the linebacking corps, with Gaines doing his business in the best way possible and making big plays while I make sure no one escapes our zone. In the locker room, I try to keep up the laughter and good spirits among the guys, but I feel we have a good atmosphere going so it isn’t that hard”. I turn him towards the subject of his goals as a Coyote, and his goals going forward; he thinks for a moment before replying, “It’s really been just about getting up to speed with the DSFL and trying to help my team in every way possible. Filling up the stat sheet is nice but learning and winning is what I’m after. Of course, like any player, I want to win an Ultimus and have an awesome career and be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, but I want to have fun with my teammates while doing it. Records would be nice but winning is always more important than personal accolades”.
At this point, we pull into Virtanen’s driveway, just in time for me to drop a big question on him: what he sees in the future, and where he’d like to play. He chastises me briefly for putting him on the spot before responding, “I’ve said previously I'm fine with all landing spots, but if I had to choose some…I’ve really liked hearing how things are in Austin. Or the Otters, with their rich history. Chicago is even an interesting place, with them being an expansion team and having success so fast”. Before he can say more on that subject, we are greeted by his parents, and the feast they have prepared for us: reindeer stew, mashed potatoes, and lingonberry jam, traditional Finnish dishes and specialties of the Virtanen family. Virtanen himself is quick to dig in, letting my know “It doesn’t get better than this”. After my first bite, I can’t help but agree; I mean no disrespect to the Toriki family, but the Virtanens have outdone themselves. However, I am here on a mission, and I soon guide Virtanen back to my question. “I feel I've put a lot of work in during the season and really tried to get accustomed to everything, so I feel like I would probably go somewhere in the first two rounds,” he replies, polishing off his second serving of stew. “More specifically than that…it’s hard to say. With the possibility of trades, and how different teams view different players, and what team needs are, who knows?”
At this point, I ask Virtanen about his motivations; what drives him to continue playing this game, to keep pushing for greater success. Again, he takes some time to think on the question before issuing his response, “I've always wanted to win and be my best in everything I do. I don’t care if it’s board games with my parents, little league soccer, or just who can jump the highest between mates, being the best is what I always strive for. That translated into football, at Michigan State and in the DSFL. I just want to be the best I can be and not have to think about it later why didn’t I push myself more”. When I ask about his inspirations, he shoots a smile in the direction of his father. “I have to say that my biggest inspiration is my dad. He had a really rough childhood growing up in Detroit as a black man, he wasn’t given any freebies, but he made sure to make the best of every situation and that got him into the NBA. Just seeing him do that wants me to make myself the best possible version of me, because he and my mom have given be the best opportunities possible”. At this point, he turns his smile the other direction, “My mom is also an inspiration. She has always put me first and made sure that whatever it was that I needed, I had, and put in so much effort that I can’t thank her enough for”.
At this point, I glance quickly at each Virtanen parent, and ask them what they think of this whole thing. They turn to each other, and Virtanen’s father answers me, “We support our son, through and through. We held a draft day party for him when he entered the DSFL, and we’ll do it again for the NSFL. And, of course, we try to make it to Kansas City often. I try to let my son know every day what I’m seeing, what I think he might be able to improve, because I know he’s destined for greatness”. Virtanen grins from ear to ear and says to me, “I couldn’t have it any better than I do with these two”. I am inclined to agree with them both, and look forward to seeing what their son will do at the next level.
Next Piece: Becoming a Python
