From South Sydney to the Super Bowl: Jordan Mailata no longer regarded as an NFL sideshow

Jordan Mailata says he never thought he would get a chance to play in a Super Bowl when he watched the game as a youngster in Sydney. Photograph: Matthew Williams/Rex/Shutterstock

Nearly five years into his NFL odyssey, Jordan Mailata is still full of surprises. The rugby-league convert from Bankstown in Sydney’s south-west, along with two Philadelphia Eagles teammates, were the stars of a seven-track Christmas charity album in December. The 6ft 8in, 165kg Australian had already appeared last March in the US version of The Masked Singer but the beautiful, crisp falsetto he delivered on a version of White Christmas stunned listeners.

Now Mailata, 25, has moved on to a bigger stage: Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, where he will help the favoured Eagles in their bid to beat the Kansas City Chiefs. The left tackle said he used to skip school back home to watch the big game on Mondays but the football was secondary. When asked who he enjoyed watching, he smiled and said: “Queen Bee: Beyoncé.”