No American football experience, no problem.
Jordan Mailata, a 207cm, 145 kg former South Sydney NYC rugby league player from Sydney, has thanked the Philadelphia Eagles for their massive leap of faith after he was selected 233rd overall in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
The offensive tackle prospect (and extremely large human being) has never played organised football, but his rugby league highlights have gone viral.
The @Eagles just drafted Australian rugby player Jordan Mailata.
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2018
His highlights are... INSANE. DOMINANT. RIDICULOUS. 😱 #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/ELYxjng21m
MORE: Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles select Australian rugby league giant Jordan Mailata |
Mailata shared his draft selection on his Instagram, along with a message of thanks to the Eagles.
Mailata has reportedly been training to play in the NFL.
From ESPN:
"His journey began last summer when his agent decided to create a highlight reel to try to entice any other rugby clubs. He also sent them to a connection with the NFL's International Player Pathway program, who was intrigued.
A November workout in Los Angeles led to Mailata being selected to train at IMG in Florida. He has labored there for the past several months, averaging four-and-a-half hours a day of training and an additional three hours of board and film work to learn the game.
Asked about his knowledge of football before this program, Mailata said, "Mate, as little as peanuts."
This will be a fun storyline to follow during the upcoming NFL season.
Mailata was the second Sydneysider to be selected on the third day of the NFL Draft alongside punter Michael Dickson who joined the Seattle Seahawks as the 145th pick in the fifth round.