O'Connell to Face College Teammate Sunday

Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell will face his former college teammate, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis, on Sunday.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell will play the most important game of his NFL career thus far when he faces the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Sunday.

For the most part, O'Connell has held his own as a rookie, but no test he has faced this season will be as formidable as the one he will get with the Chiefs, the AFC's top team for almost the last decade.

What might lighten the pressure for the first-year NFL quarterback, though, is a familiar face on the other side of the line of scrimmage: his former college teammate, Chiefs edge rusher George Karlaftis.

"I am good friends with George," O'Connell told the media on Tuesday. "[I] was at Purdue for the whole time -- I guess I doubled George in Purdue years -- but was there the whole time that he was. And he's a great guy, a great player. 

"I always thought back in the day that I'm super happy I don't have to get tackled by this guy. It's going to be fun to play him. I'm already texting with him a little bit, so it's been super fun."

Karlaftis played three seasons at Purdue (2019-2021), where he totaled 99 tackles, 30.5 tackles for losses, 14.5 sacks, an interception, two passes defensed, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown in 27 games. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2019 and 2020 and first-team honors in 2021.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell will face his former college teammate, Kansas City Chiefs DE George Karlaftis on Sunday :: © Nikos Frazier / Jour | 2021 Nov 28

O'Connell said his text exchanges with Karlaftis leading up to Sunday's game have been "cordial."

"It's going to be fun to see him," the Raiders quarterback said. "I haven't seen him in a while. And so, yeah, I have a lot of good memories with George. 

"Like I said, he's unbelievable player. I'm super proud of him as a friend to [see] all the success he's had. Obviously, to win the Super Bowl as a rookie is pretty cool. 

"So, it will be fun to see him."

Karlaftis was drafted by the Chiefs with the 30th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Silver and Black will return home this week to celebrate Thanksgiving and take on their AFC West rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Sunday, November 26, at 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST.

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