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Eagles’ Jordan Mailata rings the bell at the Wells Fargo Center for the Sixers

By Justin Grasso

PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Ola Adeniyi #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers rushes into Jordan Mailata #68 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter during the preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 9, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Eagles 31-14. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 09: Ola Adeniyi #92 of the Pittsburgh Steelers rushes into Jordan Mailata #68 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter during the preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field on August 9, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Steelers defeated the Eagles 31-14. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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It’s been a while since the city of Philadelphia got to see Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle, Jordan Mailata.

Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Eagles fan base didn’t get to see a ton of Jordan Mailata in 2018-2019. The former rugby star joined the team by being a seventh-round draft selection last year, and quickly rose to local stardom, thanks to his gigantic size and quick development. Mailata might be the rawest and least experienced player on the Eagles roster, but that doesn’t change the fact that the fan base has grown quite fond of him over the past season.

Ever since Mailata’s professional rugby highlights hit the internet, Eagles fans were hooked. Nobody knew if he would actually make it on the team or not after the preseason, but everybody couldn’t wait to see what he’s got. Not only did Mailata end up cracking the final 53-man roster at the end of August, but he also gained tons of national attention for his rapid progression.

Unfortunately, Mailata didn’t get to play at all in the regular season. But the Eagles fans never forgot him. It’s been a while since Mailata has shown face, but the gentle giant finally appeared in Philly on Thursday night as he was the honorary guest of the Philadelphia 76ers! Since he was in attendance, Mailata got to ring the Liberty Bell at the center of the court as the Sixers honorary guest does before every game. Check it out.

Mailata gets a crack at the bell

The Sixers held their annual Australian Heritage night at the Wells Fargo Center, so naturally, they found the right guy for the job in Mailata. Along with Sixers’ star Ben Simmons, Mailata is an Australian native. Obviously, Ben had a game to play, so they had to find somebody else who would fit the description of the job. Thankfully, Mailata was available to do so.

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It looks like the big man is alright. For those who forgot, Mailata suffered a back injury late in the season, which landed him on the injured reserve. Considering the timing of the injury, it was only right to end his season right then and there. Mailata should be good to go for the start of mini-camp in the spring. We’re hoping to see a big jump in progression once again.

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