Kansas City Chiefs' George Karlaftis took a page from Frank Clark's playbook with rookie DE Ashton Gillotte at training camp

"Most of you probably remember, three years ago, probably around today, I had a guy called Frank Clark, and he was out here with me every single day after practice," Karlaftis said. "And I've been fortunate enough to know Ashton (Gillotte), you know, for a couple of years now, and working with him and trying to pass down the torch kind of like Frank (Clark) did to me. Carlos (Dunlap), Chris (Jones), all those guys that I had in my rookie year. That's really what it's about. You know, figuring it out as you go, it makes it a lot easier when you've got a guy that wants the best for you and is genuine about your success and all that stuff."

What Karlaftis learned from Clark back in 2022 is what Clark learned from his veterans with the Seattle Seahawks back in 2015. Now, he'll look to pass it on to the next generation.

"(Michael Bennett), he used to come to me and say, 'Hey, man, you ain't getting off the ball fast enough.' Cliff (Avril) would come to me. . . like, 'You've got to bend that corner bro, turn that toe. I don't care if you gotta break your toe and bend that corner, knees have to touch the ground.' . . . I thank my older guys for being that hard on me because it gave me clarity on how to be a vet. It gave me clarity on how to work our rookies and bring them in."

Karlaftis and Gillotte have worked together during past offseasons because they share the same college D-Line coach, Mark Hagen. Karlaftis worked under Hagen at Purdue, and Gillotte worked under Hagen at the University of Louisville. That past relationship and familiarity certainly help when it comes to Karlaftis gaining Gillotte's trust. Once upon a time, Clark wanted to make sure that Karlaftis was ready, not because he'd one day replace him in Kansas City, but because the two were going to battle together throughout the NFL season. That'll be the same task for Karlaftis with Gillotte and others as the 2025 NFL season approaches.

"I was so fortunate to be a rookie and have some great vets," Karlaftis said. "And I just hope I can do my part in developing these young guys."