Less than a year ago, Jordan Mailata was still in Australia and didn't know anything about American football.
Now, he's earned a roster spot with an NFL team.
It's not really surprising at this point, but in the grand scheme of things, this is absolutely remarkable.
The Eagles kept the giant 21-year-old former rugby player on their roster as they cut it down from 90 players to 53 this weekend. And they probably just didn't have a choice.
Mailata played so well this preseason that other teams clearly took notice. While he might not play this season, the Eagles couldn't afford to subject Mailata to waivers and risk losing him to another team. Jeff Stoutland and the rest of the coaching staff will get to mold Mailata during the season and possibly for years to come.
The Eagles used a seventh-round pick on Mailata this spring and it raised some eyebrows. They even traded up to get him. There were plenty of critics who thought there was no way a kid who had never played football before could compete with guys who had been playing their whole lives. Try to find skeptics these days. There aren't any anymore.
Even former players have come around.
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.@Eagles #JordanMailata has improved more than ANY football player I have ever watched in 4 months . He has everything it takes to be a dominant player, except experience. Amazing transformation. #BaldyBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/gurmylW6jB— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) August 24, 2018
I no longer think 21 year old Aussie LT Jordan Mailata is going to be a starting LT in the NFL.
I think he's going to be All-Pro.
Borderline obsessed with this dude at this point. This is crazy.
Eagles are going to go right from Peters to Peters Jr.— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) August 31, 2018
The 6-foot-8, 350-pound rookie has won just about everyone over with his play and his affable personality. That includes his veteran teammates who have been more than willing to help him learn a new sport. That's partially because he's willing to learn and partially because they see something in him.
When Mailata was drafted, he was asked how much he knew about American football. He said "as little as peanuts."
Earlier this week, Mailata offered an update:
"I'd say … we'd have probably a quarter of the bag," Mailata said Sunday afternoon. "I don't know how many peanuts that is or how big the peanuts are. Maybe they're big peanuts."
Perhaps the most amazing thing about watching and following Mailata all summer was how quickly he picked up the game. I used this analogy and I still think it's a good one. Mailata was like a newborn baby because every time you saw him, he had learned something new and was doing something different. He's grown up right before our eyes.
It might be a while before we actually see Mailata play in a regular season game, but there's plenty of hope surrounding his future.
