Boilermakers Country

George Karlaftis Named to The Athletic's Preseason All-America Second-Team Defense

George Karlaftis was the lone Purdue football player named to The Athletic's 2021 preseason All-America teams. As a freshman, he recorded 54 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

D.J. Fezler

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Athletic released its 2021 preseason All-America teams Monday, and among the players representing the Big Ten, Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis was also recognized with the country's top players. 

The Boilermaker star was named to the second-team All-America defensive team.

As a freshman in 2019, Karlaftis was third on the team with 54 total tackles, including 30 solo stops. He also registered a team-high 17 tackles for loss and tied the team lead with 7.5 sacks on the year. 

Karlaftis was proficient with his hands at the line of scrimmage as a freshman, recording two pass deflections and one interception while also adding one forced fumble.

After his breakout freshman campaign, Karlaftis was also named a second-team All-Big Ten selection.

Karlaftis only started three games in an already shortened 2020 season due to injury and COVID-19. He led Purdue with two sacks and had four total tackles in his limited action on the field. Despite missing time, he was a second-team All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore.

Here is a list of all the Big Ten players named to The Athletic's All-America teams: 

First-Team Offense 

  • Chris Olave, Ohio State Wide Receiver 
  • Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa Offensive Lineman

First-Team Defense 

  • Brandon Joseph, Northwestern Safety

First-Team Specialists 

  • Tory Taylor, Iowa Punter

Second-Team Offense

  • Jahan Dotson, Penn State Wide Receiver
  • Garrett Wilson, Ohio State Wide Receiver
  • Thayer Munford, Ohio State Offensive Lineman 

Second-Team Defense

  • George Karlaftis, Purdue Defensive End
  • Haskell Garrett, Ohio State Defensive Tackle 
  • Micah McFadden, Indiana Linebacker 

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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball. 

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