Latest news with #Mailata
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Jordan Mailata Ranked NFL's Best Tackle as Eagles' Dominance Reaches New Peak
Jordan Mailata Ranked NFL's Best Tackle as Eagles' Dominance Reaches New Peak originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Philadelphia Eagles have built their championship foundation from the trenches, and their dominance was showcased when left tackle Jordan Mailata was recognized as the NFL's premier offensive lineman heading into 2025 according to Pro Football Focus rankings. Advertisement PFF's evaluation of the league's top 32 offensive tackles for the 2025 season placed Mailata at No. 1, surpassing San Francisco's Trent Williams. The former Australian rugby star's ascension represents validation of Philadelphia's development system and the exceptional coaching of Jeff Stoutland, who transformed Mailata into one of his most important success stories. Mailata's journey from the rugby pitches of Bankstown, Sydney, to the NFL's summit remains remarkable. Born in Australia, he played rugby league for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs before pursuing NFL dreams through the International Player Pathway Program. His 6-foot-8, 365-pound frame caught the Eagles' attention, but Stoutland's masterful development turned potential into elite production. Under Stoutland's wing, Mailata became the most complete offensive tackle in football. As PFF analyst Zoltan Buday noted, "Only two offensive tackles earned PFF pass-blocking grades above 90.0, and only two earned PFF run-blocking grades above 90.0. Philadelphia's left tackle was the only one to achieve both feats." His 95.2 overall PFF grade led all offensive tackles. Mailata's excellence pairs with teammate Lane Johnson (No. 5 ranking) to give Philadelphia the NFL's best tackle tandem. This duo anchored the line that enabled Saquon Barkley's historic 2,500-yard rushing season (regular season and postseason), showcasing how Stoutland's systematic approach creates cohesive units that maximize collective performance. Advertisement At 28, Mailata earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2024. Despite his PFF dominance, he was surprisingly omitted from the Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections, suggesting 2025 could bring overdue recognition. In a league where pass rush continues evolving, having elite protection on both edges becomes increasingly valuable. Jordan Mailata's recognition validates his remarkable journey from Bankstown rugby fields to American football's pinnacle, serving as the crown jewel in Jeff Stoutland's impressive coaching legacy while anchoring Philadelphia's championship aspirations. Related: Eagles Sound Off On 'Crazy' Fans Expectations for Another Super Bowl Related: Eagles Ex First-Rounder Projected as 'X-Factor' in 2025 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Philadelphia Eagles' Jordan Mailata Serenades Chris Stapleton with 'Tennessee Whiskey' Cover — Watch!
Jordan Mailata has range. The Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle sang "Tennessee Whiskey" for Chris Stapleton backstage during a George Strait concert on Saturday, May 10 at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. Mailata, 28, rocked a cowboy hat when hitting the high notes of the song's chorus. Mailata's former Eagles teammate Jason Kelce proudly watched on as well in a video shared to TikTok. "You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey/You're as sweet as strawberry wine/You're as warm as a glass of brandy/And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time," the football star crooned, which earned a round of applause from bystanders as well as a handshake from Stapleton, 47. Fans online were also thoroughly impressed by Mailata's singing. "Sings like an angel. Blocks like Superman. What can't he do?" one fan said. "I could listen to Mailata sing for hours and never get tired of it!" another wrote on TikTok. "Omg I'd be soooo nervous! He did so good," a third said. "Tennessee Whiskey" was originally recorded in 1981 by David Allan Coe but was popularized in 2015 thanks to Stapleton's cover of the song. This isn't the first time Mailata showed off his singing skills. In 2023, Mailata surprised guests at his Maui wedding, singing Stevie Wonder's' "Isn't She Lovely" to his wife Niki Ikahihifo in front of their guests. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Mailata is part of the group The Philly Specials with fellow Eagles Kelce, 37, and Lane Johnson. The trio put out three Christmas albums annually starting in 2022, with singers such as Patti LaBelle and Stevie Nicks making appearances on the holiday tunes. The proceeds from the album go towards causes that the football players care about, such as the Children's Crisis Treatment Center's Holiday Toy Drive, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Snowflake Station and the Fund For The School District of Philadelphia for Operation Snowball. The 2025 Super Bowl Champion also appeared on the seventh season of The Masked Singer. Before he was eliminated as Thingamabob, Mailata wowed judges with his covers of "Classic" by MKTO, Ed Sheeran's "Perfect" and "Wanted Dead or Alive" by Jon Bon Jovi. "I was a singer first before any sort of athlete," he said at the time. "This has been an incredible experience for me," Mailata added about his reality singing competition appearance. "I want to say if you want to do something, just do it." Read the original article on People
Time Magazine
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Time Magazine
Jordan Mailata Won a Super Bowl. Now He Wants Another
On May 1, Gold House unveiled its annual A100 List, recognizing the 100 most impactful Asian Pacific leaders across industries. See the full list here. After the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 59 in February, Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata lifted the flag of his native Australia on the victory stage in New Orleans. His compatriots seemed to appreciate the gesture: when Mailata returned home in March and April to conduct football clinics in Australia and New Zealand—part of his role as the NFL's ambassador to the region—he was recognized everywhere he went. 'I was really shocked,' Mailata says. 'I guess winning the Super Bowl is a great achievement in Australian history.' Especially since the 28-year-old's journey to the Lombardi Trophy is one of the most unlikely stories in all of global sports. Mailata, the first Australian player to ever win a Super Bowl, never played a down of high school or college football before suiting up for the Eagles starting in 2018. He was a rugby player who joined the NFL's International Player Pathway program (IPP), an initiative to train athletes from around the world on the ways of American football and potentially provide them roster spots on teams. Mailata, an Eagles captain who was named by Pro Football Focus, a data and analytics site, as the NFL's best offensive lineman for the 2024 season, is the crown jewel of the IPP. And as the son of Samoan immigrants who grew up in a blue-collar area outside of Sydney, he's using his platform and popularity—Mailata has also competed on the The Masked Singer —to inspire people of Polyneisan descent to pursue their dreams. 'You just need belief,' he says. 'I'm proof.' Mailata hails from Bankstown, an ethnically diverse suburb. His father was a handyman who retired when Mailata was about 8 years old, and his mother was a hotel housekeeper. Mailata started playing club rugby when he was 11, but his career hit a roadblock when he was 17: he collapsed during a practice and ultimately needed two ablations on the upper and lower chambers of his heart. He was able to return to club rugby 18 months later, but he wasn't making much money playing the sport—he had to take odd jobs doing scaffolding, demolition, and stage building to subsidize his athletic dream. An agent alerted him to the existence of the IPP. His only experience with American football to that point, Mailata says, was watching the Coldplay-Beyoncé-Bruno Mars halftime show at the 2016 Super Bowl, and seeing former Houston Texans superstar J.J. Watt block a field goal on TV. 'I was like, 'Who is this man? This man is a freak of nature,'' Mailata says. He felt he had nothing to lose by attending a three-month training program in Florida, but per the rules of his strict Samoan household, he had to ask his parents for permission. 'At first they said no, and I had to respect that,' Mailata says. A couple weeks later, after letting his father win at ping pong—'He had a great night whipping my ass,' Mailata says—he made his case again. This time, his parents relented. 'Everyone's on board now,' Mailata says. 'They're all die-hard supporters, waking up at 4 a.m. to watch the game.' Mailata did well enough at the IPP to warrant his own Pro Day, when personnel from eight or so NFL teams traveled to Florida to scout him out ahead of the 2018 draft. Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland ran his workout. The day before, Stoutland drew a pass protection technique on a board, and told Mailata to memorize it and demonstrate it to him the next day. Mailata left the room, but before driving away, he stealthily ran back up to the classroom to take a picture of the technique on his phone. He aced his test the following day. 'I conned him into thinking I had the memory of a f-cking wizard,' Mailta says. Philadelphia took him in the seventh round. The adjustment to pro football was difficult. 'There's nothing that I brought over from rugby to help me, other than my toughness,' says Mailata, who's listed at 6' 8' and 365 pounds. 'Nothing translates over. Everything about football is just weird, uncommon, and it's really hard to learn.' The playbook intimidated him. 'I was kind of like, f–k, this is bigger than the Bible,' he says. 'This is like learning a new religion. What are we doing?' Rugby purists give him grief when he argues that football is a more difficult sport. 'My answer is just, 'Strap it up, put on the pads, put on the helmet, and meet me out there and I'll show you,'' he says.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking the Eagles' offensive position groups ahead of the 2025 NFL draft
Ranking the Eagles' offensive position groups ahead of the 2025 NFL draft Philadelphia builds through the draft and with the first round approaching, we're ranking the Eagles offensive position groups After months of waiting, the 2025 NFL draft is here, and a loaded Eagles offense will look to replace Kenneth Gainwell (Steelers) and Mekhi Becton (Chargers), among other losses in free agency. Philadelphia is loaded on the offensive side of the football, and GM Howie Roseman could look to restock the defense with three of the first 96 picks and five selections in round five. With the first round of the draft set to begin, we're ranking the Eagles' offensive position groups from top to bottom. Offensive line The Eagles build through the trenches, and everything about this Super Bowl roster starts with the NFL's most talented and dominant offensive line. Philadelphia saw Fred Johnson depart in free agency, and has Le'Raven Clark and Jack Driscoll as free agents. The Birds signed Lane Johnson to a contract extension and inked Kendall Lamm to a one-year deal. An All-Pro, Mailata's 85.5 PFF overall grade in Week 17 led all offensive tackles and was the highest-graded offensive tackle in the NFL (95.8). Mailata led the NFL in run blocking grade (94.9), and he's second in pass blocking (91.7), according to PFF. Last season, Johnson ranked 1st among NFL RTs in PFF pass-blocking grade (88.1), pressure percentage (2.2%), and knockdown percentage (0.2%). He allowed zero sacks and 1 QB hit in 451 pass-blocking snaps. Cam Jurgens is a Pro Bowler, and Landon Dickerson is an All-Pro. Lamm and Darian Kinnard provide excellent depth. Running Back Everything starts with the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Saquon Barkley. Philadelphia signed former Packers running back A.J. Dillon to a one-year deal. The NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Barkley, led the league with a franchise record of 2,005 rushing yards, making him the ninth player in NFL history to post 2,000+ rushing yards in a season. Overall, Barkley logged the 8th-most rushing yards in league history, trailing only Eric Dickerson in 1984 (2,105), Adrian Peterson in 2012 (2,097), Jamal Lewis in 2003 (2,066), Barry Sanders in 1997 (2,053), Derrick Henry in 2020 (2,027), Terrell Davis in 1998 (2,008) and Chris Johnson in 2009 (2,006). Note: O.J. Simpson, in 1973 (2,003), was the other member of the 2,000+ yard club. Including playoffs, Barkley's 2,329 rushing yards (119 in the NFC Wild Card Playoff vs. Green Bay) are the 3rd-most in NFL single-season history, behind Terrell Davis in 1998 (2,476) and 1997 (2,331). He is just 148 rushing yards shy of breaking Davis' record. Dillon and Aaron Jones teamed up in Green Bay for a dynamic one-two punch, and that could happen in Philadelphia with the Eagles looking to take some of the load off of Saquon Barkley following a season in which he led the league with 2,0005 yards. Last summer, Dillon was set to enter a contract year in 2024, but he was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury and missed the entire season. Dillon was selected 62nd overall (second round) in the 2020 NFL Draft. The six-foot, 247-pound back, known as "Quadzilla" by Packers fans, has been cleared for action. Dillon averaged 15 games played per campaign in his time in Green Bay -- excluding the missed 2024 season -- but only started 11. Dillon recorded 2,186 rushing yards between 2021 and 2023. Former Clemson star running back Will Shipley will battle A.J. Dillon for the backup role behind Saquon Barkley. As a rookie, Shipley rushed 30 times for 82 yards (2.7 YPC) across 16 regular-season appearances with the Eagles in 2024. He also secured all four targets for 35 yards and compiled 173 yards as a kick returner. Shipley, a 2024 fourth-round pick, logged a 77-yard run and a score, the first of his career, on just four carries versus Washington in the NFC Championship Game. Wide Receiver The Eagles didn't add any wide receivers during the free agency process, but saw Parris Campbell sign with the Cowboys, while Britain Covey remains an unrestricted free agent. Despite missing three games due to injury, A.J. Brown led the team with 1,079 receiving yards. He also ranked 1st in receiving average (16.1) (min. 60 catches) and 3rd in receiving yards per game (83.0) (min. 13 games), behind Ja'Marr Chase (100.5) and Justin Jefferson (90.2). Jahan Dotson caught 19 of 33 targets for 216 yards in 17 regular-season games with the Eagles in 2024 after being acquired in a trade from Washington. He also rushed once for 13 yards. Despite his struggles, Dotson played 649 offensive snaps during the regular season for Philadelphia, working as a No. 3 receiver behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Dotson improved with time and had his most impactful game of the season during the Eagles' win over Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX, with two catches for 42 yards on three targets. The 2022 first-round pick could have an increased role for the 2025 season if Philadelphia moves on from Goedert. DeVonta Smith posted a career-high 8 TDs in the regular season and hauled in a 46-yard TD in Super Bowl LIX. During the run to the Super Bowl, he became the franchise's all-time leader in postseason receiving yards (595). Second-year players Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith will be pressured to fight off Terrace Marshall for snaps and a roster spot. Quarterback It's a team ranking of position groups, but make no mistake, Jalen Hurts is one of the best players in the NFL at his position after winning Super Bowl MVP. After watching Tanner McKee shred the Giants, Philadelphia felt comfortable entering this season with the former Stanford star as the backup quarterback. The Eagles traded Kenny Pickett to Cleveland for former UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Hurts, crowned Super Bowl LIX MVP, became just the second quarterback in Eagles history to deliver a Super Bowl to the City of Philadelphia, joining Nick Foles (Super Bowl LII MVP). According to Elias Sports, Hurts is only the seventh NFL quarterback to appear in multiple Super Bowls and win a championship in their first five seasons. The other quarterbacks who did so are Troy Aikman, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner, and Russell Wilson. He'll enter 2025 with renewed confidence and weapons at every key position. Tight End Dallas Goedert is a star, and when he's healthy, the talented pass catcher is one of the top tight ends in the NFL. Goedert is 30 years old, and like Zach Ertz before him, the Eagles seem to be preparing for an exit strategy as they work to get younger at the position. Goedert is set to enter the final year of his deal and has no guaranteed money with his $11,810,583 salary cap hit for 2025. Last season, Goedert played in 10 games, logging 42 receptions for 496 yards, averaging 11.8 yards per catch, and two scores. Goedert has missed 15 games since the 2022 season and has only played a full slate of games once. Philadelphia added veterans Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson in free agency. Nick Sirianni was noncommittal and obviously unsure when he responded, "He's on our team." ESPN's Tim McManus was even less optimistic, stating that "outside of him taking a pay cut, it's hard to envision Goedert returning to Philly in 2025." A player who could benefit the most from a Goedert departure, Calcaterra finished his third professional season with career highs in catches (24), yards (298), and touchdowns (one).
Japan Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
Australians eye NFL draft in hopes of finding next Jordan Mailata
Less than three months after former rugby league player Jordan Mailata barged his way to Super Bowl glory with the Philadelphia Eagles, Australians will watch the NFL draft with interest to see where the next homegrown talent might emerge. Australia has a long history of producing NFL punters, with their dominance in college football becoming contentious. But offensive tackle Mailata has shown Aussies can thrive in other positions, having become the nation's first player to compete in a Super Bowl win during the Eagles' victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Mailata's ascent to the pinnacle of the game was big news in Australia where contact sports, Australian Rules football and rugby league, reign supreme in a crowded market. Fans will also be following Jordan Petaia's progress as the rugby union international strives to make the grade after signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. Like Mailata, Petaia, a former Wallabies center who is seen as a potential tight end by the Chargers, earned his chance after going through the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP) training program. A number of Australians will hope to join Mailata and Petaia by signing NFL contracts after the draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but the biggest chances may have to wait until late in the three-day event when teams top up their punters. Melbourne native Alex Mastromanno has been linked with the Denver Broncos after being named an All-American in 2024 after a strong season in his senior year at Florida State. James Burnip, another Melbourne man who punted for Alabama, has also generated draft buzz, along with Florida Gators punter Jeremy Crawshaw and Vanderbilt's Jesse Mirco. All four were trained at ProKick Australia, a specialist kicking academy in Melbourne that transforms local players into elite punters. Around 25 ProKick graduates are coming out of U.S. colleges this year and many will have their fingers crossed during the draft, said the academy's founder and coach Nathan Chapman. "It's been a big year," Chapman said. "Hopefully someone will get drafted. ProKick Australia has a high hit-rate of getting Australians into U.S. colleges on sports scholarships, which critics have branded unfair to younger American athletes. One disgruntled American parent has led a class action against the National Collegiate Athletic Association, alleging the body disproportionately favors international athletes over domestic ones. There is unlikely to be much complaint, however, if hulking Australian Laki Tasi gets drafted or picked up as an undrafted free agent. Seen as a potential defensive linesman and lacking a professional sports background, Tasi trained with Petaia at the NFL's Asia Pacific Academy in Australia before heading to the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida in January for the IPP's 10-week training program. Though much heavier than Petaia, he has plenty in common with the Queenslander, sharing Samoan heritage and a childhood in rugby-mad Brisbane. "He's probably the most intriguing that's draft-eligible to me," NFL Academy head Will Bryce said.. "He's 6 (feet) 6 (inches), he's 300-plus pounds, he's powerful, big lower body, thick hips. There's some potential there. "Just hearing how he hit the bag on that IPP pro day was violent, and it was different to everyone else." While Mailata's success helped inspire Petaia and Tasi's NFL bids, football will be in the spotlight again in Australia next year when the NFL plays its first game in the country at the 100,000-seat Melbourne Cricket Ground. The regular-season game will feature the Los Angeles Rams as the designated home team, against a team to be named later, in a matchup that will most likely be the season-opener for both teams. Chapman, a former professional Australian Rules footballer who punted for the Green Bay Packers in a few preseason games, said the Melbourne clash would be another shop window for the sport and the Australian talent dreaming of NFL careers. "I think there's talent here in Australia in a number of positions," Chapman said. "There's an excitement that more players want to get involved which opens up the talent pool. "Getting a game here will create more buzz and also allow coaches to expand their networks and knowledge about what is actually here."
