Getty Chiefs edge rusher George Karlaftis
Some of the members of the Kansas City Chiefs 2022 rookie class attended the second annual Kansas City BBQ Fest at Arrowhead Stadium, which began on May 7.
The rookies in attendance for the event were first-round picks Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis, as well as second-round pick Skyy Moore, according to Dave D’Marko of Fox 4 News. D’Marko also noted that the rookies were accompanied by head coach Andy Reid and owner Clark Hunt.
Karlaftis, who grew up in Greece and played high school and college football in Indiana, had never been to Kansas City before being drafted and didn’t know it was known for its barbecue, which he acknowledged the night he was drafted by the Chiefs.
However, when the 30th overall pick tried KC barbecue for the first time at the Kansas City BBQ Fest, he had some strong words to express his feelings.
“This barbecue was off the chain. This is my type of place for sure, it was meant to be,” Karlaftis told D’Marko.
Andy Reid, Clark Hunt, George Karlaftis, Skyy Moore, Trent McDuffie are meeting pitmasters at the @kcbbqfest and tasting some BBQ
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Reid Nicknames Karlaftis After NBA Superstar
Karlaftis started playing football in eighth grade when he moved to West Lafayette, Indiana from Athens, Greece. He turned himself into a first-round talent in the NFL after registering 11.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles during his time at Purdue, per NFL Media.
Karlaftis is yet another Greek player that is making a name for himself on the professional sports stage in the United States. Another Greek player that has risen to stardom in the United States is Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, known as the “Greek Freak,” who was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in back-to-back years from 2019 to 2020.
Because both Antetokounmpo and Karlaftis are from the same country, Chiefs head coach Andy took it upon himself to nickname Karlaftis after the NBA’s reigning MVP.
“For sure we didn’t have the Greek Freak 2 in,” Reid said during his press conference after Day 1 of the NFL Draft when asked if either of Kansas City’s first-round picks visited with the Chiefs during the pre-draft process. “You’re gonna love [Karlaftis]. He is high octane this guy… but we did him over Zoom. And McDuffie, I’m short on memory there.”
Karlaftis Earns High Marks Ahead of Draft
NFL Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein made a draft profile for Karlaftis on the NFL’s official website, giving the Purdue product strong praise for his efforts during his collegiate career.
“Edge defender with good power and a relentless motor to keep the heat on offensive counterparts throughout the game. Karlaftis’ best production came in 2019, as he missed half of Purdue’s 2020 season and saw teams focus more energy toward stopping him in 2021,” Zierlein wrote in the overview of Karlaftis’ draft profile.
“He’s a lift-and-leverage run defender at the point of attack but fits into a ‘team defender’ column more than ‘premium run-stopper’ category. He’s a force-based rusher with anchor-busting power and the ability to get to his counters when the rush begins to stall. With just two full seasons under his belt, there will be more development headed Karlaftis’ way. He’s a future starter as a strong-side defender in an even or odd front.”