Former rugby league prospect going to the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles

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 was officially the biggest player on the field standing at 6’8 and reportedly weighing in at 165kg, playing a pivotal role in the NFC Championship.

The Eagles’ run game decimated the 49ers with four rushing touchdowns on the back of a strong blocking performance from the offensive line.

During the Eagles post-season run, Mailata has given up no sacks on 70 offensive snaps according to Pro Football Focus and finished with a position grade of 76.5 on the season.

During the regular season, in which Philadelphia finished with the number one seed in the conference after a 14-3 record, the Australian gave up just six sacks on 1024 snaps, tied for 15th best in the league of all lineman.

The Australian-raised 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 US through the International Player Pathway Program after 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 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, whilst 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 left tackle position 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 is truly one of the more remarkable examples of NFL success, going from a lowly paid rugby league prospect on ‘train and trial’ deals to becoming one of the highest paid lineman in the NFL, and now a Super Bowl.