Former Rugby Prospect Jordan Mailata Going To Super Bowl With Eagles
Former Rugby Prospect Jordan Mailata Going To Super Bowl With Eagles
Former South Sydney Rabbitohs prospect Jordan Mailata is on his way to his first Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. The game will take place Feb. 12.
Former South Sydney Rabbitohs prospect Jordan Mailata is on his way to his first Super Bowl, after the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-7 in the NFC Championship game.
He officially was the biggest player on the field, standing at 6-foot-8 and reportedly weighing in at 165 kilograms, playing a pivotal role in the NFC Championship.
The Eagles' run game decimated the 49ers, rushing for four touchdowns on the back of a strong blocking performance from the offensive line.
During the Eagles postseason run, Mailata has given up no sacks on 70 offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, and he finished the season with a position grade of 76.5.
During the regular season, in which Philadelphia earned the No. 1 seed in the conference with a 14-3 record, the Australian gave up just six sacks on 1,024 snaps, tied for 15th-best of all linemen in the league.
The former league player's journey to the NFL started five years ago, when he gave up on his rugby league dream to pursue a chance in the United States through the International Player Pathway Program, once scouts saw his rugby league type and were impressed with his size.
The 25-year-old now has the chance to compete on one of sport's biggest stages, the Super Bowl, as the offensive tackle for the Eagles. He'll be protecting star quarterback Jalen Hurts on the blindside.
The incredible rise is a remarkable journey for a player who never played a down of American football until his departure from Australia, while only ever watching one game a year - the Super Bowl.
With no high school football or collegiate-level experience, the Eagles spent a late-round draft pick on Mailata in 2018, which has proved to be a wise investment, as the Australian has developed into a starting left tackle.
After securing the starting role ahead of the 2021 season, the Eagles handed Mailata a four-year, $64-million contract extension, and he made his first Pro Bowl this season.
Mailata's story truly is one of the more remarkable examples of NFL success, going from a lowly paid rugby prospect on 'train-and-trial' deals to becoming one of the highest-paid linemen in the NFL and now making a Super Bowl appearance.