How rejected rugby league player has ended up on the cusp of Super Bowl dream

Former South Sydney Rabbitohs man Jordan Mailata is making waves in the NFL.

The 166kg man mountain plays in the important left tackle spot for the Philadelphia Eagles after his unlikely journey to NFL stardom began in working class western Sydney and now Mailata is preparing to lead the Eagles back to the Super Bowl.

We have seen rugby league players try their hand at different sports in the past.

Most of the time, they head to rugby union like ex-Wigan Warriors man Chris Ashton and former St Helens and Leeds Rhinos man Kyle Eastmond.

Meanwhile, the likes of Sam Burgess and of course Sonny Bill Williams both tried their hand at rugby union and played in the other sport’s World Cup.

On top of this, Israel Folau tried his hand at union as well as Australian Rules.

Boxing is another sport players like Paul Gallen and of course Sonny Bill Williams tried his hand at that sport.

But American Football and the NFL is another sport that others have played.

Jacob Smillie formerly of Halifax Panthers and Bradford Bulls tried his hand at the sport before returning to rugby and even playing for Wigan Warriors’ reserves.

Jaryd Hayne and fellow NRL star Valentine Holmes did the same and recently former NRL prodigy Thomas Yassmin has begun his NFL journey.

But it is Mailata who could be on the cusp of the Super Bowl as he takes his Eagles into the play-offs having signed a huge $88 million deal.

However, the NFL star could have been an NRL star. He impressed at Bankstown Bulls before earning a move to Canterbury Bulldogs but a week out from his debut the big prop collapsed.

He was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome which required heart surgery and stifled his rugby league dream.

He would eventually go on and join South Sydney Rabbitohs but as they wanted him to lose 15 kilos to earn his next contract, he passed on the opportunity and now after all that, he could be headed to the Super Bowl soon enough with the Eagles currently fourth favourites according to CBS Sports.