Jordan Mailata is a superstar. The Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive tackle was an integral member of last year’s Super Bowl team, earning All-Pro status and later being named among the top 100 players in the NFL. When the Eagles face the Cowboys in Thursday’s opener, Mailata will enter his eighth season as one of the best linemen in the league.
But back in June 2018, all of this — the success, the Super Bowl, being one of the highest-paid players in the NFL — would have been a dream for Mailata.
At that time, the Australian rugby player was a recent seventh-round draft pick. He had been in Philadelphia for a few weeks, and there were no guarantees he would stay for long, let alone become a fan favorite.
That’s when Mailata connected with a fellow Aussie in the area. What followed was a day of rugby, beers and singing in front of a crowd of Eagles fans — and a friendship that helped the unheralded rookie settle in Philly before becoming the all-world player he is today.
“I was new,” Mailata told PennLive. “I was very young, had just turned 21. And I was still trying to figure out the temperature in Philly and what the fans are like. For me, that day meant a lot. Because it felt like someone was looking out for me.”
Jordan Mailata and David Niu
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata and David Niu, a fellow Aussie, pose for a photo at the Collegiate Rugby Championships in June 2018.Courtesy of David Niu
On June 2, 2018, David Niumataiwalu received a call from an old friend. Niumataiwalu (Niu for short) is regarded as one of the founders of rugby in the United States, establishing the American National Rugby League after moving from Sydney to the Philly area in the early 1990s.
Mailata’s agent at the time, Chris Orr, reached out to Niu a month after the 6-foot-8 NFL hopeful was selected by the Eagles with the No. 233 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Orr played rugby against Niu back in the day and knew he was living in the area.
“There was a period of time where he didn’t really know anyone,” Niu said of Mailata. “Chris contacted me and said, ‘Hey listen, Jordan’s in town. Can you help him out? Can you show him around and make him feel at home? He’s a little lost at the moment.’”
A day after Orr contacted Niu was the Collegiate Rugby Championship finals at the Philadelphia Union’s stadium in Chester, just outside the city in Delaware County. Niu would be there. Not only were his sons playing for Penn State and St. Joseph’s, but it was a massive showcase for the sport. Rugby fans and Aussies in the area would be out in full force.
Turns out, Mailata would be in attendance, too.
Mailata spent the day with Niu, an Aussie who has made Philly home. The two bonded over their island heritage; Mailata’s family is Samoan while Niu’s is Fijian. They found out Niu taught at Mailata’s high school in the Sydney suburbs (well before Mailata was born). And they talked about both playing “rugby league,” a version of the sport with 13 players per side.
“His first comment to me was, ‘How old are these guys?’” Niu recalled. “I was like, ‘You know, 18 to 22.’ He’s like, ‘They’re my age?’ You know, he’s massive, and these guys are all running around. I couldn’t imagine if he went out there and played.”
Mailata’s journey from rugby to the NFL is well-known. After being told he was too big to play rugby professionally, he accepted an invite to try out for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. Mailata spent the pre-draft process learning the ins and outs of football at IMG Academy in Florida, where Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland scouted him.
On April 28, 2018, Mailata heard his name called on draft night, becoming the second player ever to be selected with no American high school or college football experience. A month later, he was chatting with Niu at Talen Energy Stadium about his “crazy” journey.
Jordan Mailata with David Niu
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata and David Niu, a fellow Aussie, pose for a photo at the Collegiate Rugby Championships in June 2018.Courtesy of David Niu
But Mailata’s day didn’t stop when the rugby was over. After Niu’s sons were done playing, the group hung out together for a while before one of the sons had a realization: they had a graduation party to get to for a family friend. Niu initially said they would drop Mailata off in the city before going to the party. But then he thought about it for a second.
“Do you want to come?” Niu asked Mailata.
Mailata responded: “Why not?”
“Showing up at the tournament, there were Eagles fans everywhere going crazy, and it was just cool to see Aussie culture in America, in Philly,” Mailata said. “I think that’s why it was so easy for me to just be a ‘yes man’ that day. Whatever Niu says, just go with it. I trusted him.”
“He comes to the party, we walk in and everyone turns around and says, ‘Holy shit,’” Niu said.
They were stunned to see Mailata. One, he was an enormous human being, maneuvering his way around a party tent in a Delaware County backyard. Two, he was an Eagles player. Mailata shook hands and posed for pictures the whole time. He spoke with die-hard Birds fans and found out quickly “these people really love their team.”
Then out of nowhere, Mailata gave everyone at the party a sneak peek of what at the time was a hidden talent.
“I see he puts his beer down and goes and talks to the guitar player,” Niu said. “Next minute, sure enough, he’s got the guitar, and he’s up there singing ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ by Chris Stapleton. He’s the size of a giant, but he’s got the voice of an angel. It was fun. It was one of those unplanned but really great moments that people got to meet this young kid.”
Mailata said Niu “felt like family” after that day. Mailata credits Niu “and his folks” for being so open, welcoming him in at a time that he didn’t have anyone with him in the states.
Mailata’s profile has grown considerably since he was a seventh-round rookie. The 28-year-old has since become a mainstay in Philadelphia protecting Jalen Hurts’ blindside. He signed a three-year, $66 million contract extension last spring that will keep him with the Eagles through 2028. This summer, he was ranked No. 69 on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list of 2025.
All the while, the Niu family has watched with pride as Mailata’s Eagles journey has played out — from making the 53-man roster as a rookie in 2018 to starting for the first time in 2020 to becoming one of the best left tackles in football and playing in two Super Bowls.
Mailata and Niu have stayed in contact over the years. Niu will text him before big games, telling the fellow Aussie how happy he is for his success.
“Maybe it’s an Australian thing but I’m always conscious of the fact that I didn’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on him,” Niu said. “People say to me all the time, ‘Call him up, get some tickets.’ No, no, no. I’m just enjoying this guy’s ride. I’m enjoying supporting him.
“I mean think about it. A guy who had never played the game is at one of the most valuable positions in the league protecting the most valuable player on the team. Every time he plays or every time someone talks about him, I get a real kick out of it. He’s a classic example of someone setting their mind to something, giving a dedicated and conscious effort and accomplishing great things. Super, super proud of what he’s done. Good fella.”
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