George Karlaftis
Bruce Yeung/Getty Images
George Karlaftis feels ready to play in Brazil on Friday night.
For George Karlaftis, all those trips back and forth between the United States and Greece are finally going to pay off.
The 6-4 Kansas City Chiefs star defensive end spoke about why he wasn’t worried about their lengthy trip to Brazil for their season-opening game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Friday night.
The Chiefs, the three-time reigning AFC champions who have won two Super Bowls in that span, will play in Sao Paulo for the second consecutive game in season-opening-weekend game in Brazil.
Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 34-29, also in Sao Paulo, in the inaugural Brazil game and the first regular-season Friday game in more than 50 years.
What Did George Karlaftis Say About The Chiefs’ Flight To Brazil?
The Chiefs are traveling, as they always do, by a charter flight thanks to their partnership with charter airfare service provider Airshare, that will take them directly from Kansas City International Airport directly to Sao Paulo.
“Probably the first direct Kansas City to Sao Paulo [flight],” Karlaftis said. “It’ll be pretty cool.”
But even a nonstop flight from MCI to GRU takes more than 11 hours — though no U.S. airline flies it direct between those destinations. That means more than 11 hours on an airplane — though presumably one that has fewer seats and therefore more room for the 53 players plus coaches, athletic trainers, support staff and more.
Still, that may make for uncomfortable travel for Karlaftis, tight end Travis Kelce (6-5) or star D-Tackle Chris Jones (6-5). But Karlaftis said Tuesday he felt ready for the trip.
“I’m kind of used to it,” Karlaftis told reporters. “I’ve been traveling back and forth from Greece since I was a young kid, so it’s not the end of the world.”
Karlaftis was born in Athens, Greece and spent his first 13-or-so years there until his mom moved the family to West Lafayette, Indiana after his father died in 2014.
Like the Kansas City-to-Sao Paulo trip, a flight from Indianapolis to Athens takes 13-plus hours, and you can bet the Karlaftises weren’t flying on a chartered jet to go back and forth.
“When you’ve done it enough, and I’ve done it since I was a year old … the more you do it, the comfortable you get and the more you get used to it,” Karlaftis said. “To me, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Karlaftis said he last made the trip to Athens in May, and he was able to fly nonstop to Athens from a number of airports in the U.S.
“I’ve done it all,” Karlaftis said.
What Did George Karlaftis Say About Playing In Brazil?
Karlaftis is one of just seven people to play in the NFL after being born in Greece — coincidentally, fellow 2022 draft-mate Kyle Hamilton was another.
So even though the travel may be tough, and members of the Eagles and Packers complained about field conditions in Brazil, Karlaftis feels privileged to participate in a game outside the U.S.
“I’m a huge proponent of more international games being played,” Karlaftis said. “I’m all for it. I think that’s the next step for getting this great game to grow internationally.
“I’m all for it. Yeah, the flight is a little long, but what are you going to do?”