The defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs, George Karlaftis is one of a kind. He’s a Greek/American who’s taken over American football in the last couple of years. Wonder who’s taken over his heart? We’re talking about George’s girlfriend – does he have one or is he single?
Those who know and follow him regularly know the answer quite well. But if you don’t then you’ve come to the right place! Take a sneak peek into the article below to learn exciting details about the defensive end’s love life.
George Karlaftis Is Dating His High School Sweetheart
That’s right, George Karlaftis is taken. He’s been in a romantic relationship with his high school sweetheart Kaia Harris since 2016.
The love birds met in their freshmen year at West Lafayette High School. There was an instant connection between them, and thus, they soon became good friends. Eventually, they fell for one another.
In the initial phase, George and Kaia kept things low-key. While many of their near and dear ones knew they were dating, the footballer’s fans did not. It was not until 2021 that the couple publically acknowledged their affair. Karlaftis posted a photo of the two of them in September 2021. He accompanied the post with a sweet caption; he wrote,
Can’t believe it’s already been 5 years @kaia.harris. Seems like it was just yesterday when I met you at Lambert…wow! I love you so much and can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.
Before the NFL star’s post, his girlfriend had updated her relationship status on Facebook in June 2021.
They Went To The Same University
After dropping out of the Air Force Academy in 2018, Kaia shifted to Purdue University. In 2022, she graduated with her Licentiate degree in Mercado Kinesiology and a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing Kinesiology. Following her, her boyfriend enrolled himself in the same university for his doctorate in 2019. The Greek-born formerly pursued a degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Miami.
Getting To Know George Karlaftis’ Girlfriend Kaia Harris Better
She was born as the eldest daughter of her parents, Courtney Harris and Cindy Gong-Harris on May 4, 1999. Excluding her, the pair have four younger children – two boys and two girls.
The family of seven resides in West Lafayette in Wabash Township, Indiana. They’re quite well-off, given the fact that Courtney is a director of business development at Purus Lab. Likewise, his wife works at OptoSigma in a similar post.
She Is A Well-Read Young Woman
Kaia graduated high school in 2017. And, as mentioned, she tried pursuing a career in the American Air Force. However, she dropped out in less than a year, only to pursue kinesiology at Purdue.
It is to be noted that at present, she is on track to receive her J.D. from the University of Missouri. Based on her LinkedIn profile, the soon-to-be attorney will graduate with her doctorate in May 2025. Throughout the years, she’s worked alongside her mother in OptoSigma, on top of working as a full-time Summer Associate at Husch Blackwell law firm.
Harris Was A High School and College Athlete
You know much about George’s athletic background, but did you know that his girlfriend was a discus thrower on the track and field team? Well, yes! After playing basketball throughout high school, she went on to join the track team at university. She was a noted Boilermaker from 2021 to 2022.
Harris set a record by throwing for an impressive 54.11 meters on 2nd April 2021 thereby winning the competition. Besides, she was included in the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team Academic All-Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field the same year.
Her additional accolades include the 2021 Academic All-Big Ten and the 2021 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Not only this, but she also held first place in the discus throw at the 44 Farms Team Invitational. She took part in multiple NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships as well.
George Karlaftis’ Girlfriend Faced A Near-To-Death Experience In 2019; What Happened?
The footballer’s girlfriend encountered a major accident in November 2019. On her way back from the Purdue versus Northwestern game, her car collided with a semi-truck. She had her friends along with her and all three of them were injured badly.
She suffered collapsed lungs, internal hemorrhage, and lacerated internal organs in the accident. It was truly a situation between life and death for Kaia. Additionally, she also sustained a traumatic brain injury and broken ribs.
Thankfully, with the right treatment and immense care, she was able to recover completely. Soon enough, her friends had her back on the track team too. It’s amazing how she made a full recovery, even though she suffered a near-to-death experience.
He Was By Her Side Throughout the Recovery
The unfortunate event shook the Chiefs’ defensive end to his core. Expressing how he felt, seeing Kaia in her fragile state, he wrote on his X (formerly Twitter), “It was crazy seeing the person you love in that kind of state.”
“It was crazy seeing the person you love in that kind of state.”
George Karlaftis (@TheGK3) did all he could to be by girlfriend Kaia Harris’ side following her scary 2019 car accident.
Full @BTNJourney feature: https://t.co/ui5iuVEF60 pic.twitter.com/d00Z6Gd8wh
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 14, 2021
George stood by her side with each passing day. He had all his attention on her while she was in the hospital, fighting for her life. Every day was challenging for the couple back then. Nevertheless, they fought through!