Oct 22, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata (68) against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Jordan Mailata made his way to America as a 20-year-old, to play a sport he had never played before. The Eagles OT is an Australian native and played professional rugby for the South Sidney Rabbitohs before transitioning to football. Mailata sat down with his teammate Jason Kelce and his brother Travis Kelce on the latest episode of the New Heights podcast and the brothers couldn’t remain calm.
On the podcast, Mailata talked about his time playing rugby, the difference between rugby and football, and even the new Eagles Christmas album. A clip from their latest recording went instantly viral for Mailata’s insane vocals. However, the Kelce brothers were just as blown away by his physique as by his vocals and wanted all the details.
On the topic of rugby being more of an endurance sport, where you have to do a lot of running, Mailata revealed that he was a whopping 310lbs during his rugby days, and was considered overweight. However, he had a low body fat percentage, which blew the Kelce brothers’ minds. Jason Kelce reflected back to the time Mailata came back after the offseason and was 380lbs and was “yelled at for being overweight.”
However, as Jason acknowledged the Australian only had 20% body fat, which was less than what Jason himself had at almost a 100lbs lighter. This revelation rendered Travis Kelce speechless as he called the offensive tackle a “specimen” and Jason called the whole thing “insane.”
Ironically, while Mailata was considered too beefy and cumbersome for rugby, he was labeled “too small” by NFL scouts when he first made it to America at almost 320lbs and 10% body fat. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, he was lacking a “gut.” The OT has an impressive structure, as he is the tallest Eagles player, standing at an impressive 6 feet 8 inches, has a 230cm frame, and keeps his weight in the 350-370 lbs range. The former rugby league player has played at a wide spectrum of weights in his career but has settled at 370 and still tries to weigh exactly that before each game.
How Does Jordan Mailata Maintain His Physique?
Jordan Mailata’s back injury in 2019, was partly attributed to his playing style and lack of knowledge about proper blocking techniques, and partly to not weighing enough at 360lbs. According to the Philadelphia Enquirer, to manage his weight, physique, and energy levels, Mailata follows a specific eating routine. He typically has two substantial meals a day, along with a shake and a possible snack before practice. He skips breakfast and has his first meal around noon, with the last meal of the day at 7 p.m.
On Fridays, due to his tight schedule, he makes time for breakfast and skips lunch, having a late dinner instead. During these Friday night dinners, he occasionally indulges in “cheat meals,” but overall, he monitors his portion sizes carefully. Mailata believes in the importance of fueling his body and understands the significance of proper portion control. His typical portion consists of “one steak, a scoop of potatoes, and some vegetables.”
Nidhi is an NFL Editor for The SportsRush. Her interest in NFL began with 'The Blindside' and has been working as an NFL journalist for the past year. As an athlete herself, she uses her personal experience to cover sports immaculately. She is a graduate of English Literature and when not doing deep dives into Mahomes' latest family drama, she inhales books on her kindle like nobody's business. She is proud that she recognised Travis Kelce's charm (like many other NFL fangirls) way before Taylor Swift did, and is waiting with bated breath for the new album to drop.
