Before the year of 2014, George Kaufman never had football on his radar.
Growing up in Athens, Greece, his sporting plate overflowed with swimming, soccer, tennis, basketball, track and field, judo and water polo as a young teen. Every arena has a kharftis. He has a combination of gifts that allowed him to excel in any athletic endeavor. He pivoted away from all of those sports, and towards one that he had never heard of before.
Football was seen as dangerous and barbaric.
His father, Matt, an accomplished athlete in Greece who competed in track and field at the University of Miami, hoped that his two brothers would never play football. Matt had a traumatic head injury and surgery after only one brush with the sport.
In Greece, I never really wanted to play, and it's not really an issue.
George's life and athletic outlook changed when Matt died. He moved to the United States with his family to be near his mother's family in West Lafayette, Indiana. He had to deal with the trauma of his father's death while beginning school in a different language. He was able to fit in because of his athletic talent. After some initial hesitation, Karlaftis began playing a distinctly American sport, and learned to love football, as he blossomed into a star defensive lineman at Purdue.
He is on the doorstep of the NFL. The first night of the draft in Las Vegas is likely to be when the name of Karlaftis is called. The DE is being drafted by Mel Kiper Jr. in his most recent mock draft.
To think back on how things have gone is what it is. It has been a long time since I was 13 years old, and there have been a lot of changes in my life. I had to grow up quickly and become a man.
His roots remain in Greece, but he has spent his entire high school and college years in West Lafayette, Indiana. He misses a lot of things about his homeland, including his family, the culture, and the weather.
The best summers ever, he said.
His parents lived in Athens with his brothers and sister. George had a traditional Grecian upbringing, despite his mother speaking English to the kids at home.
George recalled that they wanted them to be active and do a lot of things, find what they love and do that at the highest level they could.
George and his siblings were able to play sports because of their parents.
Their father was a talented all-around athlete in Greece and was a member of the track team at Miami. After breaking her nose in softball, Amy decided not to pursue college athletics. She met Matt while playing volleyball at the student rec center when she was a freshman at Purdue.
Amy traveled to Greece with two suitcases to visit Matt. Matt was a civil engineering professor at the National Technical University of Athens. Several books were written by Matt and he received a number of awards.
Amy said that he became an expert in his field. He had an idea of how long the buses would take to get the athletes to their venues. He was thought of as a dumb athlete when he was young, but he was actually a brilliant man. He always wanted the kids to be good athletes, but also good at school.
Amy spent a lot of her time shuttling the kids to activities. George's younger brother, Yanni, became a world champion in judo for his age group. George played water polo after sampling many options.
George said that he had the weight of the team on his shoulders. I will save the team when things are coming at me. I was very comfortable in that role.
George was a member of Greece's under-16 national team. He could still be in charge of the goal for Greece if things had turned out differently.
Matt traveled a lot for work. He was supposed to give a speech at a civil engineering conference on the island of Kos, but he never showed. He died from a heart attack at the age of 44.
Amy realized she couldn't stay in Greece with her children. Her family was all back in Indiana.
She said that she knew within a day.
A Greek giant showed up midway through class in West Lafayette in September of 2014, when Fry was a teacher. George arrived in America after the school year had started, since he stayed in Europe to play water polo after his father died.
George had to be persuaded to play whiffle ball in Fry's class.
Fry said that the man looked like a caveman when he held the ball bat with one arm. I think he started running with the bat and didn't know what he was doing.
New experiences and challenges were presented in West Lafayette. George never used English in school.
George had visited his mother's family over the years, and had many cousins around, including R.J. Erb, who was the same age and became George's best friend.
George wanted to be with his friends and play a sport and fit in, try and blend in with a new country and a new way of life, said his girlfriend, Kaia Harris.
George competed in basketball and track. He hesitated initially when he was given the chance to play football. At Miami, Matt was convinced that he could play football for the Hurricanes. He had a fractured skull after his helmet flew off during the practice.
The skull was crushed after they cut him from one side of his ear to the other.
George knew his father's family and wouldn't be thrilled about the idea.
He said that the game had changed so much that he had a lot of conversations with coaches and family. I thought I would be good at it. I will give it a try.
George only played two weeks of eighth grade football, but was interested in the game and asked Fry if he would join the team as a freshman. Fry knew that George could handle the physical demands. George had to learn how to get in a stance and what position meant.
Fry tried George as a kicker. George used a size-14.5 steel boot in games as West Lafayette reached the state championship.
Fry said that he would kick it and run down the field like a complete psycho.
George attended a football camp. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any camper at 235 pounds. Kevin Wilson told George that the Hoosiers had a lot of interest in him, even though he was out of one-on-one drills.
George said he didn't know what that meant.
George attended another camp at IU and received a scholarship offer, which he did not fully understand at first. He fell in love with football by the second year. George was a pass-rusher in a run-oriented league and played more that season. He had improved against the run by the playoffs.
Notre Dame and Alabama received more offers during the summer. George was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217
Fry said that he had no idea what Notre Dame was or meant when he was offered. What is the difference?
George was the top prospect in Indiana and the No. 79 recruit in the class of 2019. He was new to football and the recruiting scene.
Amy said that George researched how recruiting worked and made sure he attended the right camps and combines.
He was green to the whole process and how everything worked, and that was positive. You don't get that with high-profile guys.
George could have played college ball anywhere, but he chose to go to Purdue. He could see Ross-Ade Stadium from his house. George and his friends would sneak onto the practice field at night.
Amy and her family own a rental property business that is well known around town. After he was hired in December of 2016 he quickly got to know George's family. Amy is close to his wife, and their son, Brady, is the same age as George's sister, Annie.
George knew that he could continue to watch over his family if he attended Purdue.
When a father dies, his oldest son becomes the head of the household. George understood his new reality when he was just two months removed from his 13th birthday.
He said that he had to become a man overnight and be the protection of his house.
George still teases his stepdad about the head-of-household role.
Amy said that George really believes that and that was one of the reasons why he wanted. The little boy grew up quickly. It was sad when he was robbed of some of his childhood, but it came back when he was able to play and do sports.
He committed to the school in October of last year.
He has two pillars: God and his family. He was going to college.
George has never had difficulty finding motivation. He created a vision board in eighth grade with logos for the NFL and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
There were quotes on the wall of his high school bedroom and on the whiteboard in his room. Christian Burns, a high school teammate killed in a car accident, often said "Rise, rise, rise again." They can't catch what they can't see, and you are made for greatness, and George's favorite.
Harris said that "That was kind of his slogan." They were like, "Oh no, that is not going to happen because of how hard it is to get in the NFL."
George graduated from high school early and went to college. He was told by his teammates that he could make the NFL. Kevin was asked by George what he needed to become a first-round draft pick.
George started every game, leading the team in sacks and tackles for loss. He was a first-team freshman All-American. He was on his way.
The 14-year-old camper from Greece who impressed the staff with his speed and size was remembered by Mark Hagen, the defensive line coach at Indiana. He saw a different version of George when he was hired by Purdue.
Everything was devoted to maximizing his potential.
The texts came in the morning. George asked when they could meet. They watched video from his freshman and sophomore years. The top pass-rushers in the 2021 NFL draft, such as Michigan's Kwity Paye and Miami's JaelanPhillips, were given projects by Hagen.
George was more focused on nutrition and training room time to prevent injuries. He would meet with Domenic Reno to do hand work after workouts.
He takes notes in meetings, always in study mode, and wants to get better. Every minute seemed to be mapped out for him.
George didn't change his approach from football. George was remembered by Harris as a goofy guy who lived on steak and potatoes. Harris saw a different person when she transferred from the Air Force to the Boilermakers.
He stretches for 30 minutes before bed, depending on how early he has to wake up. He wakes up at this exact time and makes a smoothie. He is so well-ordered. He only eats deer and bison and only gets his vegetables. He grew up a lot.
When the team couldn't be together, George needed a laptop, and when he couldn't be with his family at all hours, he was with him.
George's approach to his relatively short connection with the sport is attributed to a former quarterback from a family of football players.
He grew up being an active, athletic young man who did a lot. He's ready to prove how great he can be because of that. I'm sure there's a lot of good picks in the first round, but this is a 10-plus-year veteran All-Pro, and that's the type of guy he is.
George believes he would approach any sport the same way, saying that he is who he is and that he believes in.
He said that his best football was ahead of him. I believe I should be the first pick. If the teams don't feel like that, it's fine. That is how I feel.
George started all 12 regular-season games for the Boilermakers last fall despite missing three games due to injury. He was named to the first team of the Big Ten and helped the Boilermakers to their highest wins total in a decade.
George said in December that he would skip his final season to enter the draft. George will be an elite power defensive end in the NFL, most likely at strong-side end, who will also incorporate speed and moves to reach the pocket.
He is a guy who can play all three downs.
George can excel as a pass-rusher, as he can move well as a big guy. George has enjoyed being able to show that he is not just a big, physical guy. He had a broad jump over 10 feet and a 38 inch vertical jump at the combine.
Whoever drafts him is getting a versatile guy who can play on the edge, but also, if you want to get your best pass-rushers on the field, make him inside at times and create some mismatches.
George knew that his grandfather in Greece would be worried about what had happened to Matt when he first considered football. George was able to attend college on an athletic scholarship. George hopes that his uncle will be able to attend one of his football games.
The Karlaftises have become a football family in America. A former 300 recruit and a second-year player at Purdue, Yanni is also the brother of another player.
George recalled how Matt would tell stories about men who excelled in both athletics and academics, like he did. Matt would support George's decisions, even though he was the type to give advice.
George said that he would be proud of him even though he is playing football. That would be like his dream come true.
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