American football fans have been left stunned after resurfaced highlights showed Jordan Mailata bulldozing opponents on a rugby league field before ever setting foot in the NFL.
The viral clips shared by the NFL, showing the 6’8 Philadelphia Eagles star charging at full speed, sparked a frenzy online, with many US viewers struggling to comprehend how an athlete of his size could move so quickly.
‘6’8 moving like that at full speed is terrifying. Eagles got a decade of protection for nothing,’ one fan wrote.
Another added: ‘man switched sports like it’s nothing’.
The footage, taken from Mailata’s time in Australia before he entered the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, quickly spread across social media, but it also triggered a heated debate.
Aussie fans were quick to jump in and correct a common mistake made by American viewers.
American fans were left stunned by Jordan Mailata rugby league highlights shared by the NFL
Viral footage sparks debate as Aussies correct Americans over rugby league and rugby union confusion online
Fans argue Mailata was never a professional rugby league star despite hype around pre-NFL highlights
‘@NFL at least get the sport correct. He was playing Rugby League, not ‘Rugby’ which is the term used for the sport ‘Rugby Union’. Completely different sports,’ one user fired back.
Others echoed the frustration, repeatedly stressing: ‘RUGBY LEAGUE!!!’
The confusion did not stop there.
As hype around Mailata’s background grew, several users pushed back against claims he had been a professional rugby league star before switching codes.
‘He certainly wasn’t a rugby league star. He never even played first grade. He played in the U20s and that’s it. Don’t be spreading lies,’ one commenter wrote.
Another added: ‘Rugby league…and he didn’t play professionally…he was in the 3rd tier competition.’
The debate highlights a key part of Mailata’s remarkable story, one that makes his NFL rise even more extraordinary.
Before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018, Mailata had never played a single game of American football.
Clips highlight Mailata’s rare physical traits that helped him transition from rugby league prospect to NFL champion
Mailata’s journey from unknown junior rugby league player to Super Bowl winner continues to leave fans amazed
In fact, his rugby league career never progressed beyond junior and development systems, including time with the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ under-20s setup.
Yet within just a few years, he transformed from a raw prospect into one of the NFL’s most dominant offensive tackles, even playing a key role in the Eagles’ Super Bowl triumph.
That unlikely journey is part of what continues to fascinate fans on both sides of the world.
Some American viewers even compared his running style to NFL greats, with one writing: ‘Runs like Larry Csonka without the pads,’ while another said: ‘Earl Campbell, If he had ever played rugby’.
Others speculated how unstoppable he might have been had he grown up playing gridiron.
‘Now is one of the best tackles in the league, crazy to think what his ceiling would be had he played football earlier,’ one fan said.
But not everyone was convinced the move from rugby league to the NFL was an upgrade.
‘Left the most exciting sport he could play. to take a break after every down?’ another user wrote, taking aim at the stop-start nature of American football.
The cultural divide between the two sports was on full display throughout the thread, from confusion over terminology to debates about physicality and skill.
‘I say football is harder, but NRL, rugby league, rugby union. It’s more physical and more tough,’ Mailata himself has said previously.
