From Bankstown to the Big Stage: Jordan Mailata’s Remarkable Journey to the Super Bowl with Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles are preparing for a tilt at the Super Bowl and an Aussie will be as crucial as any other player on the roster: man mountain Jordan Mailata.

The 25-year-old left tackle is preparing to take his Eagles deep into the playoffs – and hopefully even a Super Bowl victory.

And the rags-to-riches story began in the working-class Sydney suburb of Bankstown.

He is hoping to go from the harbour city’s west to playing in front of over 100 million people in this season’s Super Bowl.

Aussie 166kg, 203cm man mountain Jordan Mailata has gone from an NRL reject to one of the most important players for the Eagles as they push for a Super Bowl win this year
Mailata, pictured with fiancee Niki Ikahihifo-Bender, is now one of the most popular figures on the Eagles team - and possibly the entire league, given his effervescent nature and the high-quality singing voice he busted out on The Masked Singer

After signing a monster $88million contract last season, he is no longer the project player who used to play rugby league, and it’s a journey like no other in the sport.

The nuances of playing left tackle and protecting the blind side (yes, like Michael Oher in Sandra Bullock’s famous movie) of his dynamic Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts are imperceptible to most.

He has to have the footwork of a ballerina in a phone box despite being roughly the size of a compact car.

Sounds impossible for someone who didn’t pull on a football helmet until 2018, right?

Jordan Mailata, pictured blocking in the Eagles match against the Titans on December 4, has to have the footwork of a ballerina in a phone box despite his enormous, athletic frame

So how did Mailata go from a rugby league reject to one of the NFL’s best left tackles in such a short space of time?

Humble beginnings

Born on March 31, 1997 in Sydney, Lafoga Jordan Mailata is the son of Samoan immigrants who had moved to Bankstown, in the city’s south-west, before he arrived in the world.

Mailata lived in a bedroom with brothers Moana, Daniel and Millo, while his parents Tupa’i and Maria and sister Sese got their own rooms in a modest three-bedroom house in the working-class area.

Jordan Mailata with his parents Maria and Tupa'i prior to heading to the USA to try and make an NFL career for himself

He was given the middle name Jordan by his sister as a nod to basketball legend Michael Jordan, and goes by that name in his public life.

Academia was the priority in the Mailata household, so Jordan focused on his studies at the nearby Condell Park High School before testing his obvious athletic potential in a more serious way.

Rising rugby league star

A junior with the Bankstown Bulls, which produced current NRL stars Ryan Matterson and Daniel Tupou, the massive Mailata was quickly earmarked for higher honours.

Weighing in at 147kg despite his tender age, Mailata caught the eye of Bulldogs scouts as a prop, and joined their elite SG Ball (under-18s) program in 2014.

Then tragedy very nearly struck.

The hulking prop collapsed at preseason training just a week out from his debut, and was rushed to hospital.

Mailata was eventually diagnosed with a heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, and had to have surgery on his heart the follow year, halting his rugby league dream for more than 18 months.

As he recovered, his already hulking 203cm frame blew out to 166kg, meaning he needed to go back to the drawing board if he was to keep playing footy.

Jordan Mailata played lower grade rugby league for the Rabbitohs before deciding to focus his attention on NFL when club officials said he was too big for the game

Fortunately, his special talent and drive was still apparent.

Playing with his brothers for Five Dock in the Balmain A-grade competition, Mailata caught the eye of Rabbitohs recruiter Ben Rogers and then-club supremo Shane Richardson

The prop lost 28kg and earned himself a $5000 contract to play under-20s and reserve grade with the club.

In 2017, Mailata was told that if he wanted another $5000 contract, he’d have to lose around 15kg from his 142kg, 10 per cent body fat frame and would only be in the mix to play for the Rabbitohs reserve-grade feeder club, North Sydney.

His talent was not in question, and the behemoth prop can be seen in old highlights packages completely bulldozing both helpless opponents, but the club was concerned he couldn’t last past 10 minutes despite his standout work ethic.

[embedded content]

Mailata refused and passed on the contract offer, though he bears no ill will towards the club.

‘That [being too big for rugby league] was a label I was given … I had to cop it on the chin and weigh up the options,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald just after being drafted by the Eagles.

‘They [the Rabbitohs] wanted me to play second grade, and there were a lot of second-grade contracts up for grabs at different clubs. Personally, I just wanted a fulltime contract so I could develop.

‘They wanted me to lose 15 more kilos and it was impossible because I was at 10 percent body fat. That wasn’t healthy at all … But I laugh at it now,’ said Mailata.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Jordan Mailata with family and friends after a game for the Rabbitohs under-20s side in Queensland back in 2017

An unlikely dream inspired by ‘The Blind Side’

So where to next?

Mailata’s manager at the time, Chris Orr, suggested they get a highlights package together to give to rugby union scouts – a sound move given the sport features almost every body weight and height.

However, the highlights somehow found their way into the hands of scouts for the NFL’s international pathways program (IPP).

American football’s popularity is booming in Australia, though it still remains somewhat of a niche sport outside of the Super Bowl.

Mailata was one of those people who knew nothing about the game outside of watching the season’s title match every February.

But the dream was almost squashed without getting off the ground after his parents voiced their concerns.

Jordan Mailata, pictured with fiance Niki Ikahihifo-Bender, at a training camp for the Eagles

Traditionally, Samoan children only leave the family house once they are married – and Tupa’i gave his son a firm no when he asked about leaving for the IPP.

But thanks to a game of ping pong, Mailata convinced his dad that giving an NFL career a shot would be worth it – because he would not leave without their blessing.

‘Two weeks later I’m playing ping-pong with him [father Tupa’i] at night. We were playing for a straight hour, just him and I, playing three games to 21, going back and forth. And I let my old man win. He had a good time,’ he told ESPN about the night he convinced his father he should go to the USA.

‘He was like, “I’m tired, I’m going to go to bed,” so I was like, now is my time to attack.

‘He was in bed and I walk in, the lights are off and I’m like, “Dad, can I talk to you real quick. I want to talk to you about America.” And he said, ‘Oh whoa whoa whoa, go wake your mum up’.

‘That night, my old man said, “If you really want to do this, then do it. Do it for yourself, don’t do it for anyone else”,’ Mailata recalled.

When asked by IPP what position he’d like to try out for, he suggested offensive tackle, based solely on the fact he’d seen the true story of Super Bowl champion Michael Oher in the Oscar-winning movie ‘The Blind Side’, starring Sandra Bullock.

Jordan Mailata (centre, back to camera) protects the blind side of quarterback Jalen Hurts (right) during the team's match against the Chicago Bears on December 18
Mailata (left, pictured comforting teammate Miles Sanders on Christmas Eve during the side's loss to Dallas) is incredibly popular with his teammates due to his doggedness and loyalty both on and off the field

He chose well.

Philadelphia’s current offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland was immediately impressed, despite Mailata never pulling on a football helmet prior to joining the program.

While acknowledging it would take some time for him to learn the finer points of blocking and the game in general, scouts were impressed at his tremendous physique and sub-20 per cent body fat percentage, and his excellent speed and agility for his size.

After standing out at the NFL draft combine, Mailata was optimistic that a team could take a chance on him as a project player, but all he could do was wait.

And… Philadelphia took a chance!

At pick 233 overall in the 2018 NFL draft, Mailata was taken by the Eagles in the seventh round after impressing Stoutland.

It wasn’t exactly an immediate fairytale like the movie, though.

Mailata did pass his first test – and a significant one at that: making the 53-man roster. From there, though, he spent a significant chunk of the next 18 months on injured reserve after suffering a succession of serious back injuries.

He finally made his NFL debut on September 13, 2020 against Washington, after rookie Jack Driscoll went down. He then made his starting debut in week four – and never looked back.

He was a project player no more.

Jordan Mailata blocks Browns defender Nate Orchard during a preseason match prior to the 2018 season. Mailata wouldn't make his official NFL debut until September, 2020, after a series of back injuries
Mailata thanks the fanatical Philly supporters after the team's 35-10 thumping of the Titans on December 5

From week 11 until his season ended with one match remaining thanks to concussion, Mailata was in the league’s top 15 offensive tackles

Given his spot on the left is probably the most important position on the gridiron outside of the quarterback, it is a phenomenal accomplishment for someone who hadn’t even pulled on a football helmet just three years prior.

From there, Mailata was named as the Eagles starting left tackle for the 2021 season, and this is where all that hard work on injured reserve and time in the video room with a playbook began to pay off.

One of the NFL’s top analytics experts, Cynthia Frelund, named Mailata at number 10 in her underrated players list, while top rankings experts Pro Football Focus (PFF) had Mailata as the third best tackle in the league based on his 2021 season.

He was a MONSTER protecting the blind side of exciting dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts, and excited fans not only with his physicality, but with his typically down-to-earth, affable Aussie nature.

[embedded content]
[embedded content]

The $88 million dollar man

Mailata was rewarded for his sensational 2021 season quite handsomely.

After making the decision to reject South Sydney’s offer of a $5000 reserve grade contract four years prior, Mailata signed a four-year contract worth up to $88million in September.

Not a bad decision!

Unfortunately the Eagles went down to the Bucaneers in the wild card round, but 2022 has seen the side finish as the NFC’s number one seed UPDATE following a brilliant year by Hurts and the entire offensive line.

Mailata has had a slightly more rollercoaster year than 2021, with the insane amount of top edge rushers making life hard…but it could also be that he is under the microscope more than ever before now he is one of the most well-known left tackles in the league.

Jordan Mailata and fiance Niki Ikahihifo-Bender at the Eagles' Christmas party earlier this month

PFF certainly thinks that is the case.

The top rankings service still firmly believes Mailata is in the top five of any tackle on either side of the line in the entire league.

Top five out of 64 starters, essentially.

‘Mailata suffocates defensive linemen in pass protection, but he’s also magnificent in the run game, which is especially critical for a team that likes to rush as much as Philadelphia,’ the game’s most popular ranking service wrote on Christmas Eve, when they named him as the fifth-best tackle in the league; two behind teammate Lane Johnson who blocks on the right.

Mailata's mother and father Maria and Tupa'i were finally able to watch him play NFL for the first time just prior to playoffs - but unfortunately the Eagles saved their worst game of the season for them

Incredibly, Mailata’s parents were able to see that in action for the first time just prior to playoffs, making the 16,000km journey from Australia – though unfortunately despite a huge game by the left tackle, his team saved their worst match for the visit and went done despite being huge favourites to the Saints.

Put simply, he’s a beast, and so is the rest of the line. Hurts is pretty handy, too.

Now, just a handful of big games stand between the 14-3 Philadelphia Eagles and a Super Bowl berth, with Mailata and Hurts in the thick of it alongside a stellar depth of incredible skill position players and a stout defense.

The…singer?!

Oh, one more thing.

Lafoga Jordan Mailata can sing. Not just sing, but proper SING.

The angelic voice that belies his affable Aussie demeanour and huge frame, Mailata and his offensive line teammates recently released a Christmas album – but that was more a goof than anything.

The lad can sing. Evidenced by the fact RnB superstar NeYo had him as a warm-up act this year while he performed in Philadelphia.

[embedded content]

You read that right: a 166kg offensive lineman opening up for one of the most popular R&B singers of his generation, who has sold over 20million albums worldwide.

Videos emerged on social media of Mailata belting out delightfully smooth renditions of popular songs like ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours’ and Amy Winehouse’s hit ‘Valerie’.

Jordan Mailata appeared on the US version of the Masked Singer as 'Thingamabob' earlier this year

He also performed on The Masked Singer. There really is nothing this Aussie can’t do.

The Jordan Mailata story, it’s not a bad one.

But who will play him in the movie?

The Jordan Mailata story

1997 – Born Lafoga Jordan Mailata on March 31 in Sydney to Samoan immigrants Tupa’i and Maria

2014 – The Bankstown Bulls junior is picked for NRL club Canterbury Bulldogs’ elite SG Ball (under 18s) program and already weighs 147kg

2014 – Mailata collapses during preseason session with the Bulldogs and is diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome.

2015 – He has to undergo surgery to repair the upper and lower chambers of his heart and blows out to 166kg

2016 – Returns to the footy field, and plays for Five Dock in the Balmain A-grade competition

2017 – After being spotted by Rabbitohs recruiter Ben Rogers, Mailata joins South Sydney to play in their under 20s and reserve grade teams on a contract worth $5000 and loses 28kg

2017 – Told to lose around 15kg from his 142kg, 10 per cent body fat frame in order to sign another $5000 reserve grade contract – but he declines

2017 – Sends highlights package to the NFL’s international pathways program, and is accepted despite not knowing much about the game or ever playing a snap

2018 – Picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 7th round of the NFL draft (pick 233) as an offensive lineman

2018 – Makes Philadelphia’s initial 53-man roster as a project player before finding himself on injured reserve

2019 – Spends much of the year on injured reserve after serious back injuries

2020 – Makes his NFL debut against Washington on September 13 after coming on to replace injured rookie Jack Driscoll. Makes starting debut in week four. Finishes first season as a top-15 rated OT from week 11 after 15 appearances and 10 starts

2021 – Named as started at left tackle for the season, finishing as one of the best left tackles in the league. Earns four-year contract worth up to $88million

2022 – Named as a Pro Bowl alternate for the 22/23 season as a big part of the impressive Eagles offensive line that has launched star quarterback Jalen Hurts into an MVP-level talent

Related Posts

Patrick and Brittany Mahomes’ Early Christmas Celebration Amid Chiefs’ Busy Schedule..

The Kansas City Chiefs are in the middle of three games in 11 days that fall in the heart of the holiday season. The busy schedule puts as much stress on the NFL players’ families as it does on their bodies, but the Mahomes family is making the most of …

Read more

Jason Kelce’s 1-Word Nickname for Kylie Kelce Turns Heads! She hopes her unborn baby will become a football star.

Jason Kelce’s 1-Word Nickname for Kylie Kelce Turns Heads! She hopes her unborn baby will become a football star. Jason Kelce’s 1-Word Nickname for Kylie Kelce Turns Heads ESPN analyst Jason Kelce and his wife, Kylie Kelce, are having one epic year. Shortly …

Read more

Taylor Swift shares group hug with mom Andrea and Donna Kelce after Chiefs’ big win against Texans

‘Tis the damn season for Taylor Swift to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play football! The Grammy winner was spotted sharing a group hug with her mom, Andrea Swift, and Travis’s mom, Donna Kelce, after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans …

Read more

Taylor Swift arrives at Chiefs vs. Texans game coordinating with Travis Kelce in festive fur coat

8 Taylor Swift looked festive at the Dec. 21 Chiefs vs. Texans game in a Charlotte Simone coat. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con Twinning and winning. Taylor Swift arrived at Arrowhead Stadium to watch the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Houston Texans game on …

Read more

In her new coat, boots, and mystery hat, Taylor Swift looks stunning to Travis Kelce’s Game

Taylor Swift just winter-fied her game day wardrobe at the Chiefs vs. Texans game. Cheering on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, in fuzzy fashion on Saturday, the pop star arrived at Arrowhead Stadium in a comfy winter outfit that proved you don’t have to …

Read more

Jason Kelce Dazzles Wife with Memorable 32nd Birthday Bash; Sweet Tributes from Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Taylor Swift!

Philadelphia Eagles star Jason Kelce recently pulled off an unforgettable surprise for his wife’s 32nd birthday, organizing a touching celebration that had everyone talking. Known for his humor and down-to-earth personality, Jason went all out to make …

Read more

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *