The defense has been the story of the Kansas City Chiefs’ success during the 2023 season. The unit wasn’t receiving the respect they felt they deserved before last year’s Super Bowl, carrying that chip on their shoulder into this year’s squad ahead of Sunday.
Chiefs second-year defensive end George Karlaftis spoke with reporters on Tuesday during his Super Bowl media scrum, discussing his admiration for the work defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his staff have done this year.
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“I think with Spags (Steve Spagnuolo), it all starts with how much he cares about the guys, but you could see that he truly cares about us. He loves us. He’s like a father figure, if you will.” said Karlaftis, “He’s a man that instills faith in our defense, just trusting in one another, and everything goes from there. But you know, we love Spags, we love playing for Spags, because the game plan, and then the stuff he’s able to dial out speaks for itself, but he’s just a great human being, I’d have to say that before anything else.”
Spagnuolo continues to receive much-deserved praise for his job with the Chiefs’ defense, elevating them to becoming one of the best units in the league. He conducts business as a teacher during the week leading into game days, according to Karlaftis.
“Spags (Steve Spagnuolo) always keeps you on your toes because he likes presenting a topic or something like that. And he might just call on a random person to explain something, so he challenges Everybody.” said Karlaftis, “Everybody knows he’s a great teacher because he explains everything really well. Everybody takes notes, and there’s a specific way we conduct our business in the defensive unit room, so he’s great.”
Karlaftis secured ten sacks in his second NFL season, garnering a reputation as a feared pass rusher. He appreciates Spagnuolo’s teachings as he enters his second consecutive Super Bowl.