Super Bowl LIX: Jordan Mailata becomes first Australian to win title with Philadelphia Eagles

He has just become the first Australian to win a Super Bowl.

Jordan Mailata’s Philadelphia Eagles ended the Chiefs’ Super Bowl domination in emphatic fashion.

The Eagles won 40-22 against a deflated and defeated Chiefs outfit.

He was part of the Eagles’ losing 2023 side to the Chiefs so winning today will be even more special for Mailata.

He has played a key role at left tackle helping running back Saquon Barkley gain valuable yards, while protecting quarterback Jalen Hurts as he ran rampant with two passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown of his own and throwing for 234 yards while running for 45 yards.

Once a worker on demolition sites he 2.03m, 165kg offensive tackle has bulldozed his way to the top of the gridiron game.

Although the 27-year-old is now an established leader in the Eagles’ locker room, it was a long, hard road for Mailata from western Sydney to the City of Brotherly Love.

Growing up in a big Polynesian family, Mailata laboured on construction sites while he pursued a career in rugby league.

What did he learn from the experience?

“That it sucked,” he told reporters this week. “The routine of it all was pretty gruesome. ... Probably the hardest part of it was just trying to get into that routine and I think it kind of helped a lot with my transition (into the NFL).”

Unable to break into professional rugby league, Mailata tried his luck through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program and was eventually scouted by Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.

Mailata didn’t play a game in his first two NFL seasons on the Eagles roster after being taken at pick 233 in the 2018 draft, but he eventually blossomed under Stoutland’s tutelage.

“Let me just say this to you, Jordan Mailata is maybe the most unbelievable story in the history of the NFL,” Stoutland told media in New Orleans.

“From where he came from, for the amount that he knew about football to where he is today, it’s incredible,” Stoutland said. “He is a great leader, he is a great player, he understands the game.”

Former church choirboy Mailata is also a great singer and serenaded ex-US President Joe Biden at the White House with a rendition of “This Christmas” by soul singer Donny Hathaway in late 2023.

Mailata has hit all the right notes for the Eagles this season, stepping up as a leader following All-Pro centre Jason Kelce’s retirement.

He has been fiercely protective of quarterback Jalen Hurts from media criticism and lives by the mantra of “blocking out the noise” - whether it be external pressure or US President Donald Trump.

“I mean, that’s cool,” he said of Trump’s plans to attend the Super Bowl. “But Donald’s not on that field, mate. Again, that’s blocking out the noise. What I am going to do thinking about Donald Trump? How’s that going to make me win the game?”

With AAP