‘I probably shouldn’t have done that’: Aussie hulk’s Super Bowl revelation

Jordan Mailata used to watch the Super Bowl just for the halftime shows and now he’s playing in one as part of his stunning sporting journey.

Jordan Mailata is focused on the Super Bowl. Picture: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

When Jordan Mailata was skipping school on a Monday morning to watch the Super Bowl at home in Sydney “mainly for the halftime show”, he could never have envisaged he’d be playing in one.

But the hulking Australian is now revelling in the excitement of the biggest sporting event on the US calendar having used the mantra of defying people who tell him what he can’t do to help guide his Philadelphia Eagles to the decider.

Mailata didn’t celebrate after the Eagles won last week’s NFC Championship game to lock in a Super Bowl date with the Kansas City Chiefs, knowing the job was not done.

While the one-time NRL hopeful is doing best to enjoy and soak in all the experiences that come with the two-week Super Bowl lead-in, he’s also keeping his mind locked in on the job at hand under advisement from his senior teammates who tasted success in 2019.

“I’m so focused in on the game right now,” he told a media scrum jostling to speak to the 160kg offensive tackle in Philadelphia.

“I’m going to enjoy all the experiences but the advice I received from the vets is to stay focused and locked in. Wherever our feet are, just focus there.”

The Eagles left for Arizona on Monday morning to round out their preparations for the Super Bowl showdown with the Chiefs.

Off to Arizona! Join us for our Send Off Party, driven by @AAAClubAlliance. #FlyEaglesFlyhttps://t.co/sGqHrt9heI

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) February 5, 2023

Mailata told the locals about his Super Bowl experiences in Australia, and they didn’t include watching the game for the game.

“Yeah, skipping school (to watch), I probably shouldn’t have done that,” he said.

“But I didn’t understand the game, I was just watching it mostly for the halftime performances. That’s a real story.”

He understands the game now after doing more “mental reps” than potentially anyone after being drafted by the Eagles despite never having played the game.

“It’s so hard, you really want to go on the field and be part of what we’re building, but you can’t do that,” he said of his learning experience.

“You’ve got to learn how to be a professional and take your mental reps, how to take notes in our meetings and be a good student.”

Jordan Mailata understands the game now. Picture: John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Mailata has evolved beyond a student into a key plank of the Philadelphia offensive unit, the man given the task of protecting superstar quarterback Jalen Hurts.

It’s a situation the 25-year-old could never have imagined he’d be in but one he’s achieved because he never gave up, with stories of his pursuit of an NRL career that never happened having emerged in recent times as evidence of his sheer will to achieve his goals.

That same desire helped his team defy the critics to take down the San Francisco 49ers last week and will be needed in spades against the Chiefs in next Monday’s Super Bowl.

“I don’t like being told I can’t do something,” Mailata said.

“That’s probably the reason I’m here in America in the first place. I can’t help but prove people wrong.

“I hate when people tell me I can’t do something and that’s what we heard all (last) week, ‘This is the No.1 defence in league’, and we took that as a challenge and we accepted it fully and gave it everything we have.

“I‘m going to be a broken record and just say the same thing but because that’s what I’ve been doing all year.

“I just want to do what I’ve done all season, what’s gotten me to this point.”

Originally published as ‘I probably shouldn’t have done that’: Aussie hulk’s Super Bowl revelation