Esko's Tim Rahkola may not be done playing football quite yet.
The former Eskomo and UMD defensive lineman, who earned his second NCAA Division II national championship ring in December with the Bulldogs, has received at least two offers to play professional football in Finland.
In Europe to continue his studies, Rahkola has also served as a "guest coach" for the Joensuu Wolves.
Joensuu is a city of approximately 50,000 people in Eastern Finland, about 250 miles northeast of Helsinki. However, the city has a well-established American football team and that club quickly engaged Rahkola's services as a volunteer.
"There are different divisions of football here," Rahkola said in an e-mail. "They have Divisions 1, 2 and 3, which are leagues involving most of the smaller cities and are fairly competitive. Then there is the top league, the Maple League, where I plan to play."
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The Maple League consists of eight teams from some of the country's largest cities including Helsinki's two teams, the Roosters and the Wolverines. Other participating teams are from Jyväskylan, Lappeenrannan, Seinäjoki, Turku and Tampere in addition to the six-time defending league champion Porvoo Butchers.
The Finnish football system, known formally as the American Football Association of Finland, features soccer-style promotion and relegation between the Maple League and the First and Second divisions.
Members of the Maple League are allowed to carry three players on their roster from outside the European Union, and it's in that league where Rahkola wants to play.
Rahkola didn't give details on his offers due to not having signed a contract, but notes that contracts in Europe are different from many in the United States.
"These player contracts usually include housing arrangements, mostly in shared two- or three-bedroom apartments, some form of transportation, gym memberships, meals, and international health insurance," Rahkola said. "Another big part of these contracts includes the offer of some sort of salary."
Rahkola said Finnish teams don't pay all their players - just their foreign ones, a fact that surprised him.
"The most amazing thing that I have learned about football in this country is that many of the Finns who choose to play do so because they love the sport," he said. "In talking with many of the players from this country I have found that some may spend up to 1,000 Euros to play every year (about $1,400). These costs include player licenses, equipment, and team fees.
Rahkola wasn't planning on playing more football - after UMD's title win over Delta State in December - when he arrived in Finland Jan. 5.
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"I was still feeling the effects from the rollercoaster ride that was the end of UMD's season and, of course, riding the high from winning another national title," Rahkola said. "I didn't expect to have the opportunity to jump back into football so soon."
The Wolves changed all that.
Rahkola has worked with that club as a volunteer assistant, working with both the team's offensive and defensive lines.
"I have been trying to share some of the fantastic techniques taught to me by my coaches at UMD and Esko over the years," he said. "It has been a great way for me to build connections with some fascinating Finlanders here in Joensuu and has given me the opportunity to travel around the country and visit other teams by participating in clinics and camps."
Should Rahkola decide to stay, he's got a few goals in mind.
"If I do stay to play football here I have also been offered opportunities to help coach at national camps that are held in the Helsinki area throughout the summer," he said. "I hope that I can help raise the level of football here in Finland and continue to build connections in this country. I also can't deny the fact that I am hungry for the chance at another national title."
This time, though, the title would be Finnish.
