Ex-Chiefs star Tamba Hali on mentoring George Karlaftis: ‘It’s humbling and rewarding’
In the Chiefs’ final seven regular-season games, defensive end George Karlaftis collected 5 1/2 sacks and he had another in the AFC Championship Game.
Karlaftis finished his rookie season with a flourish and helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LVII.
But he’s eager to improve and has been working with former Chiefs star Tamba Hali, a pass-rushing star who had 89 1/2 sacks in 12 seasons in KC. Hali has been impressed with Karlaftis’ desire to improve.
“He has a natural love for getting better and wanting to learn and staying in shape, feeling like he needs to get better than what he did last year,” Hali said last week during an interview on KCSP (610 AM).
“Not being over himself like, ‘Oh, we won the Super Bowl.’ He has this chip on his shoulder which I felt like I had. For us to be working now and and I’m sure there’ll be other guys he’ll meet, it’s only going to help him through his NFL journey.”
Hali shared this on his Instagram account.
Hali, who was born in Liberia and moved to the United States at age 10, said he sees similarities in his story and Karlaftis’.
“It’s humbling and rewarding. The sense of you got something out of the game and you’re able to give it back,” Hali said in the KCSP interview. “And being able to work with guys who have similar attributes like Karlaftis, he’s an immigrant and being in this country, not playing football until he was like a freshman, all of those things are similar to me.
“So I had told him I said, ‘Man, it’s kind of cool that we get to work out because I didn’t get this kind of chance to learn this until my fifth year (in the NFL).’ So I’m hoping that it will benefit him, but it’s definitely gratifying.”
Hali shared a video on his Twitter account of Karlaftis doing jiu-jitsu work. Hali believes that will help Karlaftis once the season begins anew.
“What we’re doing is kind of a foundation in your approach to pass rushing,” Hali said. “So what we’re doing isn’t necessarily going to be what happens in a game. But what’s going to happen is you’re going to get into what they call a flow state of doing it and it being like a habit of yours. It’s just a second nature. You don’t have to think about it.
“And that’s what happens in the game is the things that we’re learning. ... But what we’re doing today, that’s not what’s going to happen in the game. You’re going to be you’re going to put the effort you need and this thing that you have done for overtime, it’s just going to transpire. It’s like you’re walking, when you get to ride a bike, you never forget.”
