George Tarlas: Path To The NFL Draft
By Simon Carroll
Making it in the NFL, if you didn’t already know, is extremely difficult. As a high school athlete, roughly one in eleven earn a football scholarship, and only one in THIRTY THREE play Division 1 college football. From there, the odds diminish even further; just 1.6% of all collegiate players will get to call themselves a professional football player. In essence, becoming one of the 1,700 names on an NFL roster is reserved for the elite – and even then it is a tough mountain to climb.
Now imagine starting your journey at the age of sixteen, instead of six – in a foreign country where you have to learn a new language before you can understand the rudiments of football. That’s exactly what Boise State edge rusher George Tarlas did. But despite the slow start, he is just months away from achieving an improbable dream. He sat down with Simon Carroll to discuss his path to the NFL Draft:
Made In Greece
Used to drink 🐐 milk together now we chasing the bag so we can eat lamb chops on Sundays 🎥#movie #grateful pic.twitter.com/EpD50rAsb3
— GEORGE TARLAS (@george_tarlas) September 24, 2022
Chalkida, Greece. A beautiful beach town to the north of Athens that sits on the Euripus Strait separating the North and South Gulfs of Euboea. This is where the story of Georgios Tarlas is born. It’s as unconventional a beginning to any professional career as I’ve come across, and yet I’ll soon learn that the Tarlas family were always focused on sporting success. For George, he seems happy to tell his story, reminiscing of his time back home:
“My mother, Colleen, is American. My dad Ioannis visited the States back in the day and that’s where they met. Eventually they decided to relocate to Greece and raise a family there. I was the youngest, with one elder brother and sister, as well as having two other brothers already in the US. We have always been a big sporting family, with the idea we would grow up and use sports to go to college, and try to be the best we can be. For me, that started back home with basketball; we would play a lot of ball growing up, and I even played for a professional team called Ikaros Kallitheas in Athens at the age of thirteen, as well as the national team. So from the very beginning it was always trying to be the best versions of ourselves.”
Playing basketball in Greece is unsurprising. As a national sport, it is almost as popular as soccer. And with Tarlas being tall and athletic, it was inevitable he would shine on the court. To represent his country at such a young age gives me a clue just to how naturally gifted he is when it comes to sport. Even so, I was unprepared to learn of his other exploits:
“I did karate for ten years and I have a black belt! That started when I was younger. During Christmas in Greece we would go round and sing door to door, and get money. Once when I was four me and my elder brother were picked on by some older kids who tried to rob us. And I still remember to this day just freezing, getting cold feet, scared and screaming whilst my brother tried to fight them off. So my parents were like ‘fine, we’ll put you in karate’. And who would have known, ten years later I would have a black belt.”
Finding Football
Despite his athleticism seemingly knowing no bounds, Tarlas did not even know football – the American kind – was a thing, let alone something he would be good at. He would soon get his opportunity on the gridiron, but first would be coping with the culture shock as his family relocated from coastal Chalkida to mountainous Boise, Idaho.
“I still remember it. It was like in the movies where you’re driving the car down a long road, where there’s a whole lot of nothing. I can’t explain the transition really. It just kind of gradually happened. As the days went by I slowly began to learn English, something I was far from fluent in back in Greece – all i knew how to say was ‘my name is George’ and sing the happy birthday song! But our family always trusts the plan, and we just kept rolling. The culture is definitely different, and I do miss home sometimes. The social aspects, going out and drinking coffee or playing cards with friends – it’s not something they particularly do in the States. And don’t get me started on the food! I cook all my own food. And obviously i’m on a strict regime as I prepare for the draft. But I always make sure to add some olive oil in there, have my Greek salads. No flavour in the States can beat that.”
George joined the basketball program immediately upon getting to high school. But the academic athletic calendar in the states allowed him to play multiple sports, and it was here he got his first taste of football:
“I played a little soccer in Greece, but not American Football. Luckily for me, sports in high school in America are seasonal. Fall came around and they were like ‘basketball is done until spring, we play football now’. I thought they meant soccer, but it was ‘no no no – you’re gonna put some pads on and you’re gonna go hit some people’. And I was like ‘cool – I’m in!’ And ever since that moment I fell in love with it. The thrill you get being physical and making plays; sometimes I gotta admit it’s more fun than playing basketball.”
Natural Talent
Caldwell High School introduced George Tarlas to football in his junior year, at the age of sixteen. By his own admission there was a steep learning curve. But incredibly, it was just another sport that Tarlas had a natural aptitude for. And as he says, despite the differences, there were definitely aspects of basketball that helped him with the transition:
“It was totally different to anything I had ever done. Playing football takes a different mindset, and if I had played basketball the same way I would have just fouled out all the time! But at that time I was 6’3”, 230lbs, and was quick – an ideal profile for the defensive end – outside linebacker position. And the coach kept it real simple for me that first year, just told me to beat the guy in front of you and go get the football, go drop the quarterback. I got nine sacks that year. As a senior at Borah High School, they put me at middle linebacker and I was just KILLING it. My basketball knowledge came through and helped with my instincts – you could see the o-line movements, where the pullers were going, and my instincts would kick in and allow me to shoot those gaps before others had seen them. I was racking up TFL after TFL. It was the best year of my life.”
Tarlas is not boasting when he says he dominated; in his final year at high school, he recorded 54 tackles, including four for a loss, five sacks, four quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Just two years after discovering the game, he had earned all-state honors, and was a two time all-conference selection.
The plan was working – football was about to give George Tarlas a college education.
Weber State: More Than Just Football
George Tarlas can do it all 😳 Weber State can feel the momentum shifting 😬#FCS#FCSPlayoffs Q3 | (6) MONTANA. 7 | (3) WEBER ST. 10 pic.twitter.com/MQCGoz6IQq
— NCAA FCS Football (@NCAA_FCS) December 14, 2019
Just two years of high school football to lean on meant rather sparse recruiting interest for Tarlas. With no firm scholarship offers from big schools, he opted to head to Ogden, Utah and play for Weber State – one of the most successful FCS programs in the country.
“I got offers from bigger schools to join them as a preferred walk-on. I mean, I appreciated the offer and considered it, but then Coach Colton Swan from Weber State saw my potential, and the Wildcats offered me a scholarship. Sure it’s a smaller school, but for me it was a step up, and it offered me the best place to develop. So it was an easy decision really – if I had to worry about paying the bills as a walk-on at a bigger school with less patience things might have taken a different turn. Going to Weber State allowed me to focus on the sport, the college, and making relationships.”
One of those relationships would become very special. George met his future wife Brittney at Weber State, and they would get married in 2019. This April isn’t just NFL Draft month, it marks their four-year anniversary too. And for Tarlas, things on the field were starting to go as well as things off it:
“Redshirt year I was patient, learning. As a freshman I got a little taste at the end of games and on special teams. But my sophomore year was where I started to get my confidence up. I began to understand what I was capable of as I worked on my craft every day. 2019 was one of the greatest years for me. I hold myself to high standards, and want to prove that I can do things. I thrive under pressure because I was raised that way. My disciplined upbringing definitely became an asset in a sport that requires it. My coaches trusted me and I shined.”
COVID disrupted 2020 for both Tarlas and Weber State, but he was back to his very best in 2021. During his time in Ogden, he recorded 120 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and two interceptions – all in just 45 games. He was named a three-time All-Big Sky performer, and left the school with four conference rings. George humbly spends the next few minutes praising the coaching he received those five years – with one man in particular the focus of his attention:
“Coach Grant Duff was my position coach and mentor. As a foreign kid with no history in the sport, he was teaching me fundamentals in the simplest of terms, and helping me understand the game. When I had found my feet, I was ready to learn more details, like opposition formations and what they tell me. By the end of my time there, I knew our whole defense in and out – and Coach Duff was the reason.”
Back To Boise
George Tarlas was ready for the next step. COVID gave him an extra year of eligibility, and he used it to challenge himself further. He entered the transfer portal, and had some offers from Power 5 programs such as Utah and Arizona. But he ultimately decided to go home to Boise and be a Bronco. The closeness to family was welcomed, but not the reason for his choice. Tarlas wanted something different from his comfort zone in Utah – to see how he coped with a totally different environment, different team, and different coaching. The drive to push himself and find out his true potential was evident:
“That was the plan; To transition from a smaller program into a bigger one and adapt to it as fast as I could. This final year would be the pre-test before the real test of the NFL – because it doesn’t matter which team it is, you’re gonna have to go somewhere new and learn. And Boise State allowed me to do that, learning time management; between recovery, practice, studying, and time with my wife. To be in control of my environment. Leaving Utah was necessary. Being taught things I was never taught before was necessary. BSU offered that – focusing on the fundamentals I never got to learn growing up like everyone else. For me it was a game changer – now I have multiple ways and techniques to play my positions.”
Whilst not trying to diminish the effort George put in, the transition appeared to be a breeze. Tarlas thrived in his new home, leading the team through the first seven games in tackles and TFL’s, and second in sacks. But it was then that he learned another valuable lesson – embracing the everlasting chance of injury. Tarlas injured his hip midway through the season, ultimately ending his collegiate career.
“I ask myself every week ‘why did this happen?’ And every week I get a better answer. Ultimately, it has taught me the value of understanding my body and getting it ready for football. I’m now working on the foundation of how I move and how my hip is rotating – something you don’t even think about, but I had a certain way of walking based on the other sports I played when I was younger. Adjusting my stance and movement doesn’t only reduce the chance of inflammation and future injury, but it’s also allowed me to get faster on the football field. My college career may be over, but I’m still learning something new each week which helps me to improve my game.”
The Many Layers of George Tarlas
Boise State’s @george_tarlas talks about helping prepare meals for the less fortunate in the Frisco/Dallas area at a charity event this morning for the Frisco Bowl: pic.twitter.com/NkNdVerzEq
— Bronco Nation News (@BNNBroncoNation) December 15, 2022
George Tarlas is far from one-dimensional, and in just forty minutes it is apparent there’s a lot more to him than a football player. He possesses a keen interest in human behaviour and psychology, which developed into knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the body – something he leans on in his recovery. He uses meditation as a way of controlling his focus and emotions. Any and all methods of betterment are embraced.
Playing edge rusher is nuanced, heavily dependent on scheme and individual traits. I ask him about his positional versatility, with regards to having his hand in the dirt or playing as a rush linebacker. George is confident he can do both, based not only on moving between the defensive line and linebacker at high school, but also playing every position on the basketball court. He calls it ‘just a mindset, and I have it’, whilst also acknowledging that, wherever you align the goal is the same – get to the football. Based on the gaudy numbers at both positions, I have no doubt he’ll be capable on any defense. His story is remarkably similar to George Karlaftis, another Greek-born edge rusher who – at the time of writing – is preparing to compete in a Super Bowl as a rookie. An equivalent career trajectory from this point on would presumably be most welcome.
We talk about the introduction of NIL into college football. Unlike other athletes, Tarlas used any money made through his name, image and likeness in a charitable fashion, helping the homeless in Boise. It’s just another example of how this chiselled, Greek behemoth is built different – both inside and out:
“I was the youngest growing up, and it’s always been rooted into my system, to try to be nice to others and help them. I finally had the opportunity, thanks to football, to act upon it. To help find housing for homeless people is a source of pride – it’s a basic human need. I mean, we have artificial intelligence but we can’t give everyone a home? How does that make any sense? For me, it’s a chance to make an impact in the community as well as making me a better person. It’s something that drives me.”
Completing The Mission
George Tarlas is proud of his collegiate career, and rightly so. He left Boise State after helping them to ten wins in Andy Avalos’ second season, winning the Frisco Bowl in the process. And now, his focus turns to the next stage of the mission – making it to the NFL:
“For me, using sports to be the best version of myself was always the goal. Sure, when I first got here the NBA was the plan. But things took a turn, and so we just changed some letters and called it the NFL instead. The target remained the same, only the sport changed. At Weber I made the decision to delay the NFL for a year and go back to Boise, to further develop my product. And it was a great decision, despite the injury. I’m now ready for the challenge.”
Tarlas’ exploits didn’t go unnoticed. He was recently invited to the NFLPA Bowl, and despite being unable to participate in the game as he continues his recovery, he was grateful for the experience.
“Those events are meant to help scouts put a face and a personality to the film. And that’s what it meant to me too; I don’t mind admitting being a little nervous at first, but I just had to be myself. I’ve got nothing to hide. So the stress soon faded away. I enjoyed letting all the scouts see who I really am. Sadly the timing was just off to actually play, it would have been an unnecessary risk to put the pads on. But i’m now back training at full speed and look forward to being able to show out at my pro day.”
A man with Tarlas’ measurements and explosiveness should be relishing this next stage of the process. Currently working out at OFFTHEFIELD Sports in Meridian, Idaho, he tells me he’s enjoying the personal battle to improve his numbers ahead of the Boise State pro day at the end of March. We wrap up the interview talking about what his family think of his meteoric rise, as he stands on the verge of an NFL career:
“They love it! Our family has always chased these dreams. Our dad always told us – his only words in English – ‘we’re going places’. There was never any bullshit, staying out late or drinking. My mum is coming over to Idaho, and we’re all going to get together with my brothers for draft weekend. And I’m prepared for it, whichever team it is that gives me a shot. The house is up in May, so I’m ready to hear my name and get straight on a plane.”
The Tarlas family plan has worked perfectly so far, with the final destination in sight. Wherever that is, I hope they have plenty of olive oil.
A huge thank you to George for taking the time to talk to us. Everyone at The Touchown wishes him well in his future career.