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Kansas City Captain George Karlaftis’ first-round defensive finish is ‘nonstop’ – Kansas City Captains Blog


KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A reason why Chief of Kansas City End of selected defense George Karlaftis in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft was his energy. At Purdue, Karlaftis tended to run at full speed in every game whether he was rushing into midfield or defending when running.

Karlaftis confirmed this routine on the field during the captain’s early days of offseason practice.

“He goes 100 miles an hour,” coach Andy Reid said after a recent practice session. “Everything. We have to slow him down.

“He moves well in space. He has good hands, it seems… but that engine could be what jumps out of you. He goes and goes.”

The captains will need that energy from Karlaftis, their only major addition, as they attempt to revive a unit that fell to 29th in the NFL’s sack last season. Karlaftis has had 29 dismissals in 26 games during his career at Purdue.

“Not tiresome,” Karlaftis said as he explained his style of play. “I get after midfield. I stop the run. I feel like I’m a three-way player, I’m an all-around player who can do anything and everything he asks of me. , so I think I bring that to the table. I feel like I’m very, very consistent. I feel like my best football is ahead. … I’ve only been playing for about six to six years. seven years now, so I’m really excited to grow under a great system, great teammates, great organization.”

Karlaftis started late in football because he was born in Greece, where football doesn’t have much of a presence, and lived there most of his childhood. He moved with his family to the United States at the age of 13 and is still growing in the game.

When he started playing football, Karlaftis found that he was not only good at it but also enjoyed it.

“My parents pushed me to do every sport imaginable,” says Karlaftis. “When you find someone you love, work as hard as you can. I think it doesn’t make much sense to dedicate most of your life to doing something that you don’t do to your full potential every time. . you’re out there.”

“I love everything about it,” Karlaftis said of football. “I love the season. I love the mental and physical challenge and stress of chess and the game of chess. I like each game to be a unique challenge, both before the snap, after the snap, during throughout the game, whether it’s doing your duty, doing your play, doing it right, having perfect technique and having to do it over and over and over and over and over.

“Above everything else, you love the dressing room, don’t you? You love the connection and the relationship you create with your teammates and everything that comes with that.”

ESPN rates Karlaftis as the 79th overall player on its 2019 college football recruiting list. He’s had offers from Alabama to Notre Dame. The Chiefs took him with the 30th overall pick in this year’s draft, but his late start in football is a reason to believe his cap is rising.

“Everybody we talked to at Purdue just said that all of his best football was in front of him,” said General Manager Brett Veach. “He has a water polo background, was born in Athens but came here late to football, he was quick to pick it up. and how important it is to him.”

The Chiefs have lost one of their top passers from last season in defence Melvin Ingramwho signed as a free agent with Miami Dolphins. But Chris Jones and Frank Clarkwho have been first and second on the team for the past three seasons, is making a comeback.

Their presence can mean plenty of quick pass opportunities for a rookie defence.

“When you’re a defender, you want one-on-one, whether it’s me or whoever,” Karlaftis said. “You want to have the guys playing next to you who are really, really good. Obviously, they’re great players and that just means me and the whole unit will be even more successful.”



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