For Jordan Mailata and the Philadelphia Eagles, in the midst of recently losing core members of the organization, the show must go on.
Zach Berman of The Athletic provided Mailata's thought process regarding the departure of his longtime offensive line coach, Jeff Stoutland, as well as the recent trade that finally saw star wide receiver A.J. Brown shipped out to New England with the Patriots in exchange for two draft picks.
"It's one of those things where I'm at that point in my career where this is the business. We lost A.J., we lost Stout, this is how the business is. I've got to find a way to find my feet again, I've got to find a way to lead this locker room again. Regardless of whatever happens, those are the two things that I have to face now. I don't want to say it like this, but shit happens, and how do I get over this? How do I overcome this adversity or overcome this hurdle? And that's just the challenges that I'm facing right now. So I welcome it. I embrace it, man. Because this is part of football, on and off the field, when all is said and done, and I'm retired, this is stuff I'm going to miss. I love this stuff."
On the gridiron, Stout made it all possible for Mailata
Mailata began his remarkable journey on the gridiron under Stoutland, a seventh-round shot in the dark hailing from Australia, wide-eyed and fresh off the rugby pitch. His transformation into one of the game's elite tackles is nothing short of astounding, and he has always held 'Stout' in the highest regard. His sudden departure stings for Mailata and many others, yet the eight-year veteran knows that at the end of the day, it's the unfortunate, inevitable part of the business.
Choosing to embrace adversity has also been a staple of Mailata's personal success up to this point, as his career trajectory has transformed from obscurity to defying near-impossible odds to achieve stardom.
And with Brown also no longer in town, a teammate with whom he shared four unforgettable seasons, including two Super Bowl appearances and one ring, the veteran offensive tackle can look back on additional memories with number 11 for years to come.
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Mailata has gone from an unknown prospect to an unquestioned star and leader, defying the odds at every step. And his personality has endeared him to countless teammates, coaches, and fans alike. It's clear he relishes all the experiences, both good and bad, as he continues to press on as an unwavering leader in the Eagles locker room.
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