The Eagles’ Jordan Mailata’s Remarkable Journey to the Super Bowl From Australian Rugby

Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata knows he’s going to get a call from Saquon Barkley a few days before Super Bowl LIX on Sunday February 9 to discuss the game plan.Mr. Barkley, the Eagles record-setting running back, likes to check with his offensive linemen to gain synergy on the running plays included in the game plan. The calls normally come on Fridays. At dinner time.“You’ve got to be ready to have your list, and then talk about why we like this play or that play,” Mr. Mailata told reporters at Philadelphia. “It’s just a conversation about why we like certain runs. It’s the same thing that’s been happening all year. It’s just communication. ‘This is how we see it. How do you see it? Ok then, it should hit here’.”The phone calls have paid off. Mr. Barkley set several rushing records this year with 2,005 yards during the regular season, and another 442 in three playoff wins. Mr. Mailata is putting his name in the history books as well. The left tackle becomes just the second Australian to play in two Super Bowls when the Eagles meet the Kansas City Chiefs at New Orleans.He’s also the only contestant from “The Masked Singer” to play in two Super Bowls, having been a contestant in Season 7. But his angelic singing voice is a secondary skill this week. The Eagles need him to block a staunch Chiefs defensive line.“We’ve done a great job this year of just focusing on the mission,” he said in his thick Australian accent. “And the mission has always been one game at a time, really focusing on dominating your box and bringing the guy that’s behind you along with you.”It’s easy to forget Mr. Mailata, a son of Samoan immigrants, had not played a down of American football before being invited to try out for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program seven years ago. While growing up in New Zealand and Australia, the only American football he ever watched was the Super Bowl. Now he’ll be playing in his second after starting for the Eagles when they lost to the Chiefs two years ago, 38-35, in Super Bowl LVII.His improbable journey from a Rugby League player in Australia to an NFL star would reach another level if the Eagles can gain revenge and stop the Chiefs from an unprecedented three-peat.His journey began when he joined the NFL International Program after his 6 foot 8 inch, 350-plus frame proved a hindrance in the Rugby League where there is constant movement and few stoppages. He eventually declined an offer to play for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.Unlike the Rugby League, NFL executives coveted his size and athletic ability and invited him to try out. After weeks of initial training, the Eagles saw enough to trade up and select him with the 233rd over pick in the seventh round of the 2018 draft. He was only the second player ever drafted with no American high school or college experience. His first contract was a four-year deal worth $2.5 million with a $89,392 signing bonus.Mr. Mailata proved to be a quick learner: big, smart, and agile. Injuries impacted his first two years, but in 2020 he began imposing his will on opponents. A starter since 2021, he works under a three-year $66 million contract signed last April that included $48 million guaranteed and a $20 million signing bonus.He is a key reason why the Eagles (17-3) have rushed for 683 yards in playoff wins over the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams, and Washington Commanders. “I think Jordan is the best left tackle in football this year,” Eagles right tackle Lane Jonson said. “Definitely think he’s All-Pro. It’s the best season he’s had.”Mr. Mailata made the 2024 All-Pro second team but was not voted to the Pro Bowl team, irking his teammates more than it does him. “It’s out of my control,” he said at the time of the announcement. “It’s not something I prioritize. When I look back from where I was last year to where I am this year, I know I’m on the right track.”The Super Bowl platform also will give Mr. Mailata a chance to showcase his singing talent. In 2022, he competed in Season 7 of “The Masked Singer” as “Thingamabob” of Team Cuddly. Later that year, he formed The Philly Specials and recorded the first of three Christmas albums with retired Eagles center Jason Kelce and Mr. Johnson.“I love being a harmonizer, I love playing the instruments,” he told USA Today. “I just do everything. I love music.”Mitch Wishnowsky, a punter, was the first Australian to play in two Super Bowls for the San Francisco 49ers in 2020 and 2024. He lost both games to the Chiefs.

The Eagles’ Jordan Mailata’s Remarkable Journey to the Super Bowl From Australian Rugby

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