Former NRL prodigy makes Super Bowl history with Philadelphia Eagles
Jordan Mailata has become the first Australian to win the Super Bowl!
One-time NRL prodigy Jordan Mailata has become the first Australian to go on and win the Super Bowl after starring for Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
Mailata has emerged as one of the real stars of the NFL ever since he was first drafted to the Eagles back in 2018. However, he was initially set for a career in rugby league after bursting through with NRL heavyweights South Sydney Rabbitohs.
He frequently appeared for their under-20s side and was offered a deal to play for the North Sydney Bears, worth just $5,000. But Mailata’s management informed him to switch sports and he rejected Souths’ deal – eventually setting his sights on the NFL.
And he is now one of the best-paid athletes on the planet having not only successfully transitioned to the NFL with the Eagles, but become a genuine star of the game in the process, too.
Last year, Mailata signed a three-year contract worth a staggering $66million – a far cry from the paltry offer he received from the Rabbitohs just a few years ago.
And Mailata has now made history by becoming the first Australian player to go on and win the NFL’s biggest game, after the Eagles defeated Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday evening to be crowned champions and win the Super Bowl.
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said post-match that Mailata’s story, and indeed his performances for the Eagles, could inspire a new generation of Australian NFL stars.
“Think about all the kids back in Australia,” he said. “Now, you might not be gifted with the god-given ability to be 6ft 9in, 350lbs and move like that, but for a guy to come from [Australia], come over here and have the career he has, it does give hope to a young kid that maybe says ‘I want to be the next Jordan Mailata’.”
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