NFL 2023: Aiden Stait joins Jordan Mailata in quest to reach American football pinnacle

Australia’s Aiden Stait has turned his back on top shelf interest from the NRL and rugby union as a chases a similar dream to Philadelphia sensation Jordan Mailata.

Jordan Mailata during a practice session before Super Bowl LVII.

Jordan Mailata has inspired another Australian man mountain to chase his American dream.

Bathurst brute Aiden Stait has knocked back interest from NRL club the Dragons and rugby’s NSW Waratahs in a bid to emulate Philadelphia sensation Mailata by one day playing in the NFL.

At 19, Stait is 203cm — the same height as Mailata — and weighs 134kg and is so enormous the teenager is banned from taking part in almost every ride at Dreamworld.

While his mates recently visited theme parks on the Gold Coast, the NSW Waratahs Academy young gun did not bother going to Dreamworld because he exceeds the 195-200cm limit for most rides.

Instead, Stait popped into the office of Gold Coast-based Pacific Sports Management, the very agency which identified Mailata and put him on the path to NFL stardom.

Now PSM director Chris Orr sees similar potential in Stait, a monstrous front-rower who began playing league in Bathurst as a child before deciding to defect to rugby’s Waratahs and Sydney University in the hope of playing for the Wallabies.

Philadelphia Eagles’ Jordan Mailata has inspired another young Australian to pursue a career in the United States.

NRL side St George Illawarra had the six-foot-eight giant on their radar.

But with five American colleges already expressing interest in Stait, the hulking prop is ready to roll the dice and head to the Land of Opportunity in August to try his luck in gridiron.

The University of California (UCLA) is already eyeing off Stait, who hopes to follow in the footsteps of Mailata, the 166kg former South Sydney rookie who makes Super Bowl debut against Kansas City in Arizona on Monday (AEDT).

“The Dragons were keen, but I looked at Aiden’s rugby league tapes and I said, you should consider a pathway to American football, you are suited to the ground,” Orr said.

“Similar to my first meeting with Jordan, I instantly thought he was made for American football and could possibly make the NFL, as he has attributes you can’t coach.

“There aren’t many people in Australia who are six foot eight and love contact sport and getting physical.

Aiden Stait during his rugby league days before turning his attention to American football following a brief interlude with rugby union.

“He also plays cricket quite well so he has good co-ordination for a huge guy.

“There’s a picture of Aiden at 16 standing with Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Storm NRL prop) and he is the same height.

“About four or five colleges have already made contact. I’ve sent his high-school report to UCLA which is a massive college.

“I have no doubt Aiden will be offered an opportunity in the US to develop his skills.

“He is a long-term project. He will do plenty of learning at college, so if he goes into the NFL’s international pathway program, he will be two years ahead of Jordan Mailata who went over there with no experience at all and put the hard work in.”

Stait is relishing the prospect of testing himself in America.

“I am really excited to chase an opportunity overseas,” he said. “If given the opportunity, I won’t let anyone down and I will work harder than anyone to make it a reality just like Jordan has, that’s my goal.”

Originally published as NFL 2023: Aiden Stait joins Jordan Mailata in quest to reach American football pinnacle