Where did George Karlaftis go to college? Chiefs defender made impact at Purdue football

While the Kansas City Chiefs offense may be the unit getting headlines (and with the star power behind it, it makes perfect sense), there's an argument to be made the Chiefs' defense is what has propelled Kansas City to its fourth Super Bowl in five years.

While some of the usual suspects (e.g. Chris Jones) are responsible for Kansas City's defensive dominance, second-year pass rusher George Karlaftis has made himself a huge impact player as he continues to grow. Karlaftis, who logged six sacks as a rookie in 2022 during a Super Bowl-winning season, jumped up to 10.5 sacks in 2023.

A first-round pick in 2022 (No. 30 overall), Karlaftis has lived up to his billing. He has become an outstanding bookend for the NFL's No. 2 defense in both points and yards allowed in 2023. He had an impressive, if abbreviated, career at Purdue which led to him being a first-round pick.

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Here's a look at Karlaftis' college career:

Where did George Karlaftis go to college?

Karlaftis went to Purdue, where he starred as a defensive end. His 2020 season was cut short by a positive COVID-19 test, and he played 12 games in both of his other two years.

The defensive end totaled 14 sacks, including a 7.5-sack freshman year with the Boilermakers. He also logged 97 total tackles, with 29 of those tackles going for a loss. While Karlaftis' freshman year was arguably his best, he forwent his senior year and declared for the NFL draft at age 20 before being drafted at 21.

Where was George Karlaftis born?

Karlaftis was born in Athens, Greece and eventually found his way to West Lafayette to play football.

He played high school football at West Lafayette High School before following in his late father's footsteps at Purdue. Karlaftis' father, Matthew, died in 2014 of a heart attack, which spurred Karlaftis' mother, Amy, to move back to Indiana, where her family was located.

"I knew within a day," Amy said of the decision to move back, per ESPN. "I made my decision."

Karlaftis logged 41 sacks in high school before joining Purdue, where his father had earned a doctorate.

When was George Karlaftis drafted?

Karlaftis was drafted No. 30 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, a first-round pick by the Chiefs.

He immediately had high expectations placed upon him, with Chiefs coach Andy Reid harkening to arguably the most famous Greek athlete to star in North American sports:

“That’s a good question. For sure we did not have the ‘Greek Freak II’ in,” Reid said after the Chiefs drafted Karlaftis, per Chiefs Wire, referencing the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo. “We didn’t have him in. You’re going to love him. He’s high‐octane, man. You’re going to love him.”

Thus far, that prophecy has proven to be true.

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George Karlaftis Purdue stats

Karlaftis had an impressive college career, despite it being relatively short.

In an era where many players have played five, six, or even seven seasons at the collegiate level, Karlaftis played just three years technically and two in practice. He played in all 12 games at Purdue as a true freshman in 2019 before playing just two in 2020 due to a positive COVID test. He then closed out his career with a 12 games as a junior before declaring for the NFL, a prescient decision given when he was drafted and who picked him.

• Career: 97 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles, four fumbles recovered, one touchdown

Here's a year-by-year breakdown of his stats at Purdue:

• 2019: 54 tackles, 17 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, two fumbles recovered

• 2020: Four tackles, two TFLs, two sacks

• 2021: 39 tackles, 10 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumbles recovered, one touchdown

George Karlaftis college highlights

Karlaftis' college tape was extremely impressive, and he had a way of finding himself around the ball. Here's a glimpse of his best plays as a Boilermaker:

George Karlaftis Chiefs stats

Karlaftis has had a strong start to his NFL career in Kansas City, becoming a key contributor for the Chiefs' top-tier defense. Here's a glimpse of his career so far in Kansas City:

• Career: 80 tackles, 15 TFLs, 16.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumbles recovered

Karlaftis also won a Super Bowl as part of the 2022 Chiefs, and is looking for his second in as many years as a pro.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: George Karlaftis college: Purdue football stats, career revisited