There’s nothing we love to see more than a Chiefs legend working with an emerging star in Kansas City to help bring out the potential in George Karlaftis.
One year into his NFL career, George Karlaftis looks the part of a former first-round pick and long-term cornerstone along the Kansas City Chiefs defensive front. It took a full season for Karlaftis to show the consistent disruption that he displayed at the collegiate level at Purdue, but his work with Joe Cullen and Steve Spagnuolo paid off with the highest pressure rate of all rookie linemen in 2022.
Now Karlaftis is looking to take things to another level by working with a legend in Chiefs Kingdom.
Former Chiefs pass rusher Tamba Hali knows a thing or two about making the leap from the Big Ten (where he played at Penn State) to the NFL and now he’s helping Karlaftis take the next step by working together in the offseason. By the way, not only are they working out together but it’s hard not to notice the extreme work ethic when referencing their workout times.
6 AM hanging out with Super Bowl winner for the Kansas City Chiefs, defensive end George Karlafitis, and black belt. Master Dave Smarr. Sharpening techniques. pic.twitter.com/W0Nj7wmcjN
— Tamba Hali (@TambaHali91) April 6, 2023
Nothing like starting your day by having to live up to the standards of Hali, a Liberian legend who played in Kansas City for 12 seasons after being selected at No. 20 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. In that span, he racked up 89.5 career sacks and 33 forced fumbles on his way to five consecutive Pro Bowls made from 2011-15.
Karlaftis was the second of two first-round picks for the Chiefs last year, along with cornerback Trent McDuffie, and he responded with a strong season of 7 pass deflections and 6 sacks and made all 17 starts for the Chiefs on a line that also featured Frank Clark, Chris Jones and others. With Clark and Carlos Dunlap gone from last year’s roster, the pressure will be on Karlaftis to take his game to the next level.
Fortunately, Hali is the ideal workout partner for a player who has serious potential. Few players in recent Chiefs history had the sort of non-stop motor and work ethic that Hali did, and if he can impart his wisdom and exemplary technique to Karlaftis, the sky’s the limit for the Chiefs’ newest defensive cornerstone.