Greek-born American football defensive end, George Karlaftis, takes the field for the first time in the NFL Super Bowl (video)

George Karlaftis moved from Greece to West Lafayette after tragically losing his father. Now, he’s getting ready for Superbowl.

Karlaftis was born in Athens, the capital city of Greece home to over three million people. Naturally gifted with athleticism, Karlaftis took after his father Μathiós – an all-round athlete. He later used his talent to compete in basketball, shot put and water polo, even playing for the Greek national team in the discipline.

Karlaftis was drafted out of Purdue and his life has changed dramatically since then.
“It’s incredible,” he said. “The culture I’ve been immersed into and get to learn from guys like Chris Jones, Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap. It’s been incredible.”

During his rookie season, Karlaftis had six sacks and 33 tackles. He also hit the quarterback 11 times and had eight tackles for loss.

The former water polo player from Greece has embraced Kansas City “It’s a lot like it was when I was in Indiana. It’s like a Midwestern town. It doesn’t have a feeling of a big city. I live in a quiet neighborhood, so it’s been great.”

Karlaftis has called the season a blessing.

“It’s definitely been a whirlwind,” he said. “It’s the life I want to live. It’s been incredible, it’s been a blessing.”