'No one can take that from me': How a kid from Sydney could become the first Aussie to dictate a Super Bowl

Jason Kelce's first impression of Jordan Mailata was far from pretty.

"If I'm being honest he looked absolutely terrible - but he looked terrible because he had never played," the Philadelphia Eagles legend said on social media last year.

"The size and athleticism was obviously there, it was just a question of if it was going to click for him down the road with the techniques and fundamentals."

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Perhaps at the time it was a fair assessment, given scouts who attended Mailata's 2018 combine in Tampa Bay had doubts from scouts, who said the 203cm wrecking ball would require "an extensive period of development" to make the league.

Mailata was selected as the No.233 pick in that year's NFL Draft by the Eagles, who had seen highlights of the Australian-born giant terrorising rugby league lower grades.

It was a low-risk move from Philadelphia with the potential for enormous upside, signing Mailata to a four-year deal worth $3.97 million AUD with hopes of turning his undeniable athletic ability into a ready-made American football star.

With no prior experience, Mailata admitted learning an NFL playbook from scratch was like reading 'a different language' and there were concerns about his transition.

Mailata would earn the trust of the Eagles, who placed him on their 53-man roster, but injuries derailed his early seasons in the City of Brotherly Love.

Once he was fit, Mailata was still down the pecking order but eventually earned a debut against the Washington Commanders and from there, it has been an incredible rise.

Since the arrival of coach Nick Sirianni four years ago, Mailata has cemented himself as the team's starting left tackle and his stocks have risen to unbelievable heights.

Sit back and digest this: after gaining the trust of the Eagles, Mailata signed a four-year contract worth an eye-watering $101.8 million with the Eagles, before forming a lethal combination with the aforementioned Kelce and Lane Johnson.

The trio helped the Eagles into the Super Bowl two years ago, where they suffered a devastating loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Kelce has since retired and while Philadelphia endured a down 2023/24 by their own lofty standards, they have skyrocketed back up the league this season.

Heading into this campaign, Mailata signed another three-year, $105 million extension that included a $31.8 million signing bonus to remain in Philly until the end of 2028.

That contract makes Mailata among the highest-paid offensive tackles in the league, placed behind only Laremy Tunsil, Trent Williams and Andrew Thomas.

Those figures are pretty crazy for a bloke who grew up in Bankstown and fell short in his initial bid to crack the NRL with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, before finding his way into the NFL's International Pathways Program and into the top flight.

The 27-year-old is the system's greatest success story, achieving far more than the likes of Jarryd Hayne and Valentine Holmes, who were household names with rugby league fans when they moved to the United States with their own NFL aspirations.

Mailata has levelled up again this season, earning a captaincy role with the Eagles, which comes as his relationship with Sirianni continues to blossom.

In a recent interview, the Bankstown Bulls product revealed he still has the letter from his coach about earning a key leadership role in the NFL than few could have predicted.

"It just detailed how I've earned it and how no one can take that from me, the way I lead, the way I practice, the way I am in the locker room," Mailata said.

"It was pretty cool."

Not one to rest on his laurels after earning the big bucks, Mailata has more than lived up to his hefty price tag, helping lead the Eagles to the No.2 seed in the NFC conference and another trip to the Super Bowl - once again with the Chiefs

According to PFF - the sport's main analytical source - Mailata is the top-ranked offensive tackle in the entire league, scoring an overall grading of 95.2 this season.

From a pass blocking perspective, Mailata is graded as a 91.7 which places him second in the league, while his run blocking stats are even higher at 94.9 in first place.

Throughout the entire season, Mailata allowed just one sack and zero quarterback hits.

Those stats earned Mailata a spot in the All-Pro Second Team.

Mailata's performances this season have worked wonders for the Eagles offence and the proof is in the MVP-worthy season of running back Saquon Barkley.

In his first year with the Eagles since being traded from the Giants in the off-season, Barkley came within 100 yards of breaking the all-time single-season rushing record held by Eric Dickerson, finishing with 2005 for the campaign.

A lot of Barkley's success has been off the back of Mailata's blocking, including a host of long-range touchdowns that have become almost the norm.

"What is it like to block for a 60-yard touchdown? It feels amazing," Mailata said.

"One, you don't have to keep playing because he's taking it to the house after you've gone only 20 yards - and two, you get a lot of break time.

"I feel sorry for our defence sometimes when Saquon takes it to the crib."

While all eyes will be on Barkley and to a lesser extent quarterback Jalen Hurts when the Eagles take the field on Monday morning (AEDT), one of Australia's great sporting exports will be a focal point of Philadelphia's quest to lift the Lombardi Trophy.

If he can block the way he has all season, Mailata should give Barkley and Hurts room to work their magic and put up points against a tough Kansas City defence.

And if the Super Bowl heads back to Philly for the first time since 2018, it will mark the first time an Australian has been a major factor in an NFL team's championship win.